


It's the end of the world as we know it but I feel fine?

by Flowsthroughwind



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Add more as i go, Alpha Dean Winchester, Alpha Sam Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, Death, Domestic Fluff, End of the World, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Implied but not in any deatail, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Past Torture, References to Knotting, Wilderness Survival, it's over quick I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 18:18:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 37,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20679818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flowsthroughwind/pseuds/Flowsthroughwind
Summary: This happened at the end of Season 8 when Metatron locks all the angles out of heaven and I'm altering the world from there on. Castiel still has his grace but not at full strength. The guys still live in the bunker and hunt monsters though now some of the monsters are harder to tell apart.Once the angel's fell it signaled something else, something darker changing all over the world. Somehow people were dying and changing genetically but no one knew how or why. A small group of people had a plan, if things went to hell they would all flee to a hidden refuge and start over again. Unfortunately supplies will always need to be gathered.  What happens when Jennifer has to go out to get more and her path crosses with alpha's for the very first time? Will she be sold or can she trust them to not hurt them?





	1. The End

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first try at this in the Supernatural world, I tried to keep the voice of the boys the same.  
Please leave any feed back and if anyone wants me to keep going.  
Some chapters might be short and others might go long. Story flows when it flows.

The only constant in life is how it was always changing. Sometimes those changes were gentle and happened so slowly over time that no one even noticed. Other times the changes were violent and sudden, overtaking everything until those left could do what they could to adjust to the new survival.

Jennifer stared out of the window of her bedroom but didn’t see the mountain faint in the haze from the wildfires that were burning unchecked everywhere. She certainly didn’t see the trees, what was left of them, or hear the river running at the trickle it was at for now. There was a partial drought but that wasn’t anything new or something people even commented on. Those that were still alive anyway.

The world was ending or to be more precise, the world that she had grown up in and knew would be around all her life, was ending. People were dying from some illness that seemed to have no remedy, no cure, and no discrimination. People all over the world, of all ages and backgrounds were dropping; those that were left were… changing.

Usually evolutionary changes didn’t happen this fast, but when the meteors had dropped from the sky (if anyone believed that version of the news) everything had broken into chaos so what difference would a little radical biological change matter to those surviving.

The changes had begun small in the beginning. First the governments had toppled over in the epidemic and not just the US government. Then basic services had struggled to keep up and most were barely there. If a town had a hospital that functioned then it was doing well. Most towns were shutting down as people fled but She were still there. Still at home with no idea of what to do with the few people living with her for now, just hoping to survive.

While most of her family hadn’t survived the illness, she had not only survived but changed. All she had left of her own blood were a couple of nieces out of the 20 people in her immediate family… though to be fair, not everyone could be accounted for safely. Heaven only knew if any of the extended family had made it. The others in the house were a few neighbors that had survived and had no where else to go.

God’s knew she had tried desperately to get to all of her family to get them together but people got sick so fast that it was all she could do to keep up with the family she had close at hand. That was why she hadn’t left her parent’s home, just in case someone showed up looking for anyone alive. It was that faint hope that got her up out of bed each day… that and the people that were now depending on her.

Then came the round-ups. Those that had changed to be even more biologically aggressive had named themselves ‘Alphas’ and they were rounding up anyone left alive and leaving in truckloads. She had no idea where they were going but had no intention of being crated away.

A small hand slid into hers and she finally was able to break out of the morose cloud that she’d been wrapped up in. With a smile she looked down at her niece, kissing the top of her head. “Sorry honey, I was lost in thought.”

“How much longer are we going to stay here Aunt Jenn?”

“Not much, it won’t be safe here much longer so we’ll have to leave for our new home.” She thought about the crazy plan that her friends had come up with, it didn’t seem quite so crazy now. She just wished that she knew anyone of her small group was still alive. She looked around her room then sighed, it was time and she knew it. If anyone had been coming they should have made it by now.

“Get some sleep sweetheart; the sun will be down soon.”

“Alright Aunt Jenn” 

She left and you could hear the others also getting ready for bed in their own corners or beds. They would all load up in the morning, take every bit of food and clothing that was useful, what supplies or weapons could pulled together before she put everyone in her father’s truck and left.


	2. Apple Pie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for another supply run, those always go smoothly... right?

Two years later

That was how it had all started. Jennifer and the few that she had with her made it to the refuge but sadly only one friend ever showed up with a half a dozen people that he’d found on his way. It had been hard, they’d settled in with the few people that they had with them and all the supplies that everyone had managed to find and from there they had done the best they could to keep everyone going.

The biology changes had begun showing more clearly in the few adults and eventually starting in a couple of the teenagers but with the radio that Chris had found it had been marginally easier to learn what they could about this new world. Alpha, Beta and Omega. That was what everyone that was left were being classified as. Alpha’s were more dominate and had a certain scent that was something only an Omega would scent and mostly it would be when they were close to a ‘rut’. Beta’s were the only one that escaped the crazy and all three types could be either gender.

Chris hadn’t felt any change and never reported any unusual scent changes around people but Jennifer hadn’t been so lucky, problem was without any other adults changing… no one was sure which she was… alpha or omega. But that was a problem for another day. Today’s problem was the supply run that had to get done.

“It’s not safe out there.”

“We don’t get supplies soon it won’t be safe in here either Chris.” Jennifer looked over at him and smiled, “Don’t worry, I’m not stupid and I know where I’m heading. There aren’t any scoop packs roaming around right now and if I don’t make this run you and I both know we won’t make it here another month.”

“I know but I don’t like you going alone.”

She sighed, exasperated. It was the same argument every time. “So who can I take with me?” She paused then raised a hand to forestall his next words. “No one and you know it. I’ll do a sweep while I’m out and I’m taking the truck this time. I’m hoping I can find what we need to really be able to settled in here and not have to make runs so often. Who knows, in a few months maybe we’ll find some animals and not make any runs ever again.”

“Yeah I know, that’s the plan. Self sustain and save who we can.”

“All we can. I’ll leave sign if I get delayed.”

“Just be careful. They won’t be relaxed till you get back.”

She nodded, strapping the bag to her back and grabbed the keys to the box truck that had been stumbled over. It wasn’t inconspicuous but it could be filled and this run a full truck was desperately needed. Satellites were mostly down and there hadn’t been wind of another scoop pack around for almost a year. This area was simply too uninhabited. Anyone left to save they had already found.

It was a quiet ride to the nearest town but instead of stopping she kept on going, heading for Bend. It was deserted and had been for the two years that she’d been at the refuge so it was an easy smash and grab now. Funny, she never would have considered herself a person that would loot places to get what was needed. Amazing what the end of the world could do to a person.

She was in the middle of loading up the clothes from Wal-mart, sizes no longer mattered because the kids were growing and every size was needed. Jeans, socks, underwear, jackets, shoes… she grabbed everything she could carry out reasonably. Then the staples for food and comfort before moving onto the Wilco next door for the seeds and tools.

She was mid way through her last check when she heard the noises; she was in a crouch and moving slowly through the aisles. “Two legs or four… which set you got?” She muttered quietly to herself as she pulled the knife from her thigh sheath and began to hunt. If she was going to have to cut and run without the rest of what everyone needed then this was going to be a rough few months.

“I’m telling you Dean, I can smell the pie but it mostly smells like vanilla. Are you sure?”

“Yes Sammy I’m sure, I can freaking smell apple pie and bacon.” The deeper voice growled out.

They were a little closer and she backed up slipping into the center of a rack of winter jackets she had wanted to grab. Now they were the only thing around to hide her. It was a few minutes till the voices were louder and clearly closer to where she was hiding. She held her breath crouching lower and once they passed her, she had to make a break for it back to the truck and out of town.

“Dude, I don’t smell it anymore, maybe it was just-“

“I know what I scented Sam…. Damnit.” He growled looking around, the scent was fainter now, distorted and he couldn’t’ quite pin down where it was coming from. He let out another growl, “Fine, let’s get what we came for then get out of here.”

Her lungs were screaming for air but she didn’t dare breathe or move even until she couldn’t hear them any longer. Finally she let out the breath that she’d been holding and slowly slipped down to the floor to crab walk out of the rack slowly, trying to make her way to the exit she’d come in and away from the two men that she’d heard.

Her hands were cold and clammy as she walked on cat’s paws to slip out of the big box store. She was almost home free when she heard the sound of boots on concrete. Whispering an oath she risked a glance over her shoulder and spotted the two Alphas, there was no mistaking it and it was with horrifying realization that they hadn’t just left but they’d been trying to flush her out.


	3. The Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now the unknown Alphas give chase. All she knows is that she has to get away.

For one awful minute it was a staring contest with no one moving before her mind began to scream warnings. ‘**FLEE**’ She wasn't much of a runner but fear and adrenaline were one hell of a motivator. She flew over chairs and grabbed anything that could be thrown behind her and put in their path.

Jennifer could hear them and knew they couldn’t be too far behind but she couldn’t risk looking again.

“Wait, we won’t hurt you.” One of them called out.

“Screw you.” Was all the breath she had as she kept on down the full length of the outdoor mall. Her legs were beginning to burn and every breath was getting labored, a set of benches were just ahead and she jumped over them rather then going around but it cost her. The landing sent painful shockwaves through her feet and up both legs. As fast as she could turn a corner she heard them, their strides were longer then hers but they were also breathing heavily and that gave her what she needed to keep pushing herself to keep running.

Finally she spotted a storefront that was open and with a desperate oath she dove through the broken glass, past the fallen mannequins and headed for the back knowing there should be an employee exit door and she could double back. Hopefully.

“I swear… we aren’t going to hurt you.” One of them shouted as the sounds of broken glass breaking under boots could be heard.

She had just enough time to duck behind the register and whirl to face them. Time stopped as all three went still and stared each other down; it was gratifying to see the taller man holding onto a broken shelf while the other one was bent over with both hands on his legs. ‘Their eyes,’ she told herself, ‘just have to keep watching their eyes, that would tell me everything I needed to know.’

“Just stop… before this turns bad.” The taller of the two said.

She didn’t even try to stop the sneer she threw at them both, feeling below the counter for anything she could use as a weapon. “Yeah… then what? If** I** stop this’ll be bad for me no matter what lies you give me.”

The two men glance at each other and finally both stood upright, the blond nodding to his buddy. He’d barely taken half a step when she turned and fled heading for the glowing red sign.

“Son of a bitch!”

“Oh come on!”

They both swore and she could hear the heavy thumping of their boots but as the door appeared she didn’t even break stride, slamming her way through it and back outside. She veered to the right and took off knowing it was far too late to get the truck now but maybe if she could lose them then come back for it and get the hell back to the refuge. Her stomach heaved and she felt like she was going to vomit if she had to keep going, even with her advanced biology. The sounds of the men behind her weren’t as strong and she heaved out a breathless prayer.

Two stores later she risked a glance and felt sick, only one of them was behind her. Panic gave her a burst of speed, where was the other one?! “Oh gods no, please.” She gasped, making another turn out into the open lot. The wooded field was less then a half mile from where she was but she headed straight for it.

At 500 yards she heard what must have been the other one and she risked one more glance, a scream ripped out of her lungs. They were closing in on her. She turned darting into the trees as soon as her feet hit dirt.

“Dean!”

There was a shout and she reached the crest of a hill, without a thought she threw herself over it and crashed her way down through brush and stunted trees. Her head reeled making her stomach quiver all the more and she couldn’t hear her pursuers over the river that was a short 50 feet away. It wasn’t as deep as it usually was but it churned and she could see that the current wasn’t any less powerful.

She shoved herself up ready to throw herself in when strong arms grabbed her from behind and held her against a solid body.

“Noo. Nooo! NOO!” she screamed, thrashing and wishing that she hadn’t lost her knife somewhere in her flight.

“Stop it!” The voice behind her growled out as the arms tightened trying to hold her in place. “Damnit Sammy, would you get over here?”

She threw her head back connecting with his face and heard him swear but no crunch of a broken nose which was what she’d been going for. Her body felt like lead but she kept on fighting as her hand finally found the hilt of the only other blade in reach. With an oath she pulled it out and slashed, catching his arm.

“SONOFABITCH!” He howled but he let go.

That was all she needed, where she found the strength to run again she didn’t know but she did until the other man caught her. He stepped out from behind a tree and caught her up in both arms, pinning hers to her sides so she couldn’t use the knife twice.

“Hey, hey, hey. Just calm down. Calm down. We aren’t going to hurt you.” His hazel eyes stared down at her and they looked honest but she didn’t stop struggling to get out and away until he let out a growl and squeezed. Hard.

The air left her lungs and after a few painful minutes she let the blade drop and went completely still. She was too worn out to fight and clearly there was no way she could overpower them physically. She wasn’t weak but she was short, barely 5’4” and while she was a healthy 160lbs she was in decent enough shape but not strong enough. Her best skill had always been her mind and being able to outthink others. For now she’d have to play docile so she went limp and closed her eyes.

Sam looked over at his brother as Dean made his way, holding his bleeding arm with one hand. “Hey, you okay?”

“I’ll live.” He answered curtly. The two brothers weren’t nearly as winded as the woman was but after what happened when he’d caught her they weren’t taking chances.

Finally Sam loosened his arms as Dean picked up the blade from the ground but when she didn’t move beyond taking in a breath he looked closer at her face in concern. “Where do you think she came from? And what the hell is she doing out here alone?”

Dean snorted, “Add that to the list of things I don’t know. Let’s get her up to the car and get moving.”  


Sam started to lift her to carry out when she exploded into motion, planting her feet onto his thighs to use as a jumping point as she used his size against him in a flip she barely remembered.

Thankfully for her the move surprised both of the men and she was able to take off running but she knew it wouldn’t last long. They were bigger, stronger and longer legged. Her eyes darted around till she finally spotted a juniper tree that was just the right size. She lunged for the lowest branch and hauled herself up until she was close enough to jump to the next tree over and keep on climbing up the pine trees. She kept on going hoping that here her smaller size would give her the advantage she needed to get away and hide.

There was grunting and swearing below her and she held completely still against the trunk and partly hidden away in the branches.

“Look, we both know you aren’t going to get very far.” The one called Dean shouted from below her somewhere. “I swear to god we aren’t going to hurt you or hand you over to those douche-bags that run the omega sales.”

He and Sam looked up towards the trees but neither man could spot her or were sure how many trees she’d been able to jump through. They hadn’t expected her to try to run again and Sam had landed on his back, stunned for a second while Dean had just stared in disbelief as her reddish hair disappeared down another small hill. They’d been just a few steps too late to catch her then she’d made like a squirrel and moved too quickly.

“Dean we’re not helping her like this and you need stitches.”

“Sammy I’m fine. She can’t hide forever and we can’t just leave her out here to be caught.”

“Yeah but she’s running _from_ us. Right now I think **we’re** her biggest threat.”

Dean threw him a nasty look and Sam held up both hands, “To her that’s what we are right now.”

Dean looked up at the trees again, walking under several. “We got all night to wait and I know you haven’t moved on too far because I can still smell you.”

She closed her eyes hating biology but at least now she could be sure of what she was. At the refuge no one had been quite sure of her status and since there were no adult Alpha’s there she’d had no way to test reactions. Now with the two Alpha’s below there was no doubt, if she’d been just another Alpha they wouldn’t have bothered to chase her so far. Damned Omega genes, if word got out about her then the pressure would really be on because from what little news they could get Omega’s were scarce and valuable. They could be bred.

Down below Sam finally got a good look at his brother’s arm and chuckled, “She really got you.”

“Shut up.”

Sam grinned; he liked her sass as much as he liked her fighting spirit. He turned, lowering his voice so it wouldn’t carry. “Look, she isn’t coming down while we’re down here and you definitely need stitches for that.” Sam kept at his brother till he finally relented.

“Fine.” He turned, throwing one last look up at the trees then heading up the hill towards the parking lot.

Sam set her knife back on the ground, “Look we just wanted to make sure you were safe so we’re going to let you go and we’ll leave.”

Jennifer didn’t move from her perch or bother to respond, she just waited as the sun slowly began to go down and the few night animals began to move around as night settled around. It wasn’t a full moon for which she was grateful, around sunset she’d heard the sound of a loud engine start up and fade away. She’s almost come down then but she didn’t dare risk chances now. One false alarm was enough for her t o far more careful.

Once the moon was higher she slowly climbed down till she could reverse her way jumping down from tree to tree until she finally hit the ground and held completely still. Nothing moved, satisfied she finally found where her blade had been set and kept it in her hand as she skirted down towards the river to go up the back way.

The terrain was much rougher but it was less likely that anyone would think to look for her to climb through all those shrubs. Cautiously she peered over the edge of the parking lot and breathed out a sigh of relief, it was empty. Slowly she pulled herself out and hobbled back to the shopping center, clearly she wasn’t getting the rest of what was on her list but she was too exhausted to care. In spite of the rest she’d gotten in the tree, running was not her strength and only desperation had gotten her as far as she had.

Her hands and forearms were raw from climbing up the trees, her feet ached and the rest of her body simply hurt. She thought of what her mother use to say, ‘I can hear my pillow calling my name. It misses me.’ She let out a dry, short laugh.

“I can’t do this much longer Mom, I’m trying hard but I’m so tired.” A tear slid down her dirty cheek and she staggered to a stop at a bench, she just needed a rest then she’d get in the truck and drive, night warnings be damned.


	4. Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having no more energy to run, the boys finally catch up with Jennifer

That was how they found her, head forward and silent tears slipping down her face.

She didn’t know what tipped her off but something made her look up and she gasped in shock, they were both standing on either side of her and with a sick feeling she knew there was nowhere to run this time.

“Please… just let me go.” She whispered.

Sam crouched beside her but out of reach of her feet and hands, “We can’t just leave you unprotected and alone.”

“Sweetheart if I can smell you then so can any other Alpha around and they’d catch you and not give a damn about what you wanted.” Dean said.

She flinched a little away from his voice, mostly trying to ignore his scent. It had been messing with her head all day. Leather, gunpowder and oddly enough fried zucchini, not that she’d had any of that tasty treat in a few years. “I’ve done fine on my own so far, let me go and you’ll never have to see me again.”

Dean sighed and laid a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder, “Can’t do that.”

“Can’t or won’t?” She finally looked up into his green eyes, her own sparking with the rising temper. The girls…. Hell everyone was waiting on her, she had to get back.

“Both.” Sam looked sorry even as he answered.

Jennifer shook her head and didn’t even bother to resist this time when Sam picked her up and carried her over his shoulder, one arm pinning her knees down. Normally she’d fight tooth and nail but she after her frantic escape she was hurting too much to be able to push past the pain. Maybe she’d catch a break and be able to slip away to the river, it would carry her almost to the bunker, from the river she could walk the three miles up and be safe back home.

“We found a truck full of stuff, yours clearly…. You weren’t just getting stuff for yourself, were you?” Sam asked once they were back inside one of the stores. One with a camping section where they clearly meant to stay for the night. “We’ll help you get away and back to whoever is waiting for you. I Promise.”

She looked away from his gaze, she wanted to believe him but it had been so long since she’d depended on anyone but Chris. That and they were freaking **Alphas**. She let out a snort, letting them know what she thought of their ‘promises.’

With a sigh Sam stood and went over to talk quietly to his brother while she just sat there. What she needed was a plan and some rest. The river might be too far, at least from here. She still had her knife and a smaller one in her boot, if they fell asleep she might be able to get out and slip away. Not to the truck, now that they knew about it everything in it was lost. She’d have to find another way to get more supplies.

Dean’s hand shook just a little as he finished the beer they’d found before catching scent of an Omega around. “Thank god she’s not in heat but Sam….” He muttered before taking another long pull.

“I know, I know. Her scent just keeps getting stronger.” He could still only smell vanilla and a faint scent of pie but it wasn’t strong and while it was nice it wasn’t making his mouth salivate or his hands itchy. Clearly Dean could though. “Why don’t I put her in the tent so we can all get some sleep.”

He didn’t really expect an answer and he barely got a grunt but Sam was back at Jennifer’s side, scooping her up easily. He set her down gently on the cot they’d set up while waiting for her to come down from the trees she’d been in. He looked at her arms and winced a little, “I’m going to clean these and put some stuff on them.” He said quietly.

Jenn didn’t look up from where he’d set her, she simply let him clean her wounds up before he zipped the tent shut, and then she looked around. “Canvas, figures.” She sighed, lying down wearily as she stared at the ceiling of the tent. Nylon she could have just made a hole then cut it till she could slip out but canvas wouldn’t cut so easily and she had a feeling that she wouldn’t make it far even if she could cut a way out of the tent. Still, she could try in a few hours.

She hadn’t meant to close her eyes but she didn’t stir again till the sun was up high. Her eyes opened and she yelped, lurching backwards and flipping her cot landing her on the ground. Some man she’d never seen before with bright blue eyes had been sitting there less then a foot away just staring at her. She scrambled backwards even as she heard the two men outside coming.

“Damnit Cas,” Dean jerked the heavy zipper up then swore when he saw who was there. “Where the hell have you been?” He held up a hand and shook his head, “Never mind.”

Sam actually smiled, “Glad you could make the party.”

“I was unaware that you were having festivities. I came because Dean prayed about a wounded Omega.”

“Who has a name and is right here.” She snapped and regretted it as soon as she had because it brought all eyes on her.

Not that she would have made any kind of escape with all three of them standing right there.

Sam set a bottle of water and protein bar on the cot after he righted it. “We’ll be right outside.” He gave Dean a shove and they all headed out but this time they didn’t pull the zipper down.

“…Omega… injuries…”

“…truck outside…”

Jenn took the water but left the bar, too suspicious of the men to still trust them, even for food. She drank the water once she’d checked the bottle over to be sure it wasn’t tampered with; finishing it quickly before checking all of the places she usually kept her weapons. Two knives but that was it, she didn’t have anything else and frankly she was shocked that they had let her keep the two she had.

“Hey.” Sam tapped on the tent then stepped back when the woman appeared and came out. “My name’s Sam, that’s Dean and Castiel. He’s a friend.”

The three men stared at her and she just stared blankly back, she knew what they wanted but she couldn’t, wouldn’t give them anymore information then they could figure out on their own.

“They're waiting for you to return.” The strange man, Castiel, said. “You’re worried about them. About a few in particular.”

“Let me go, there are no other Omega’s waiting for me. Please… just let me go.” Jenn pleaded quietly. That was a lie but the new man was freaking her out a little and she didn’t want him to figure out too much more.

“Look sweetheart, we aren’t letting you just take off no matter whose waiting for you. Either you can tell us or I’ll stick you in my car and you’ll just come with us. Either way, we all leave together.”

She thinned her lips, “Not if I lose you first.”


	5. The bargain

She hadn’t lost them and it had taken Sam almost an hour before she’d finally given him her name but she kept on refusing to agree to take them with her or leaving with them till it was almost sunset. And even then only because their new friend warned them she was going to bolt for the river. He knew way too much.

“Look, you can’t get away from us and get to the truck you filled and back to where ever your going. We’d catch up with you one way or another.” Sam tried to reason with the woman scowling at them both.

When she didn’t budge or say anything he sighed. Dean had taken to prowling at a small distance, her scent was getting thick in his senses and it was making it difficult for him to think straight. Besides with the sad eyes, Sam was better at the sensitive crap.

“She is planning to run.” Castiel spoke up from where he was watching a squirrel in the trees.

“How the hell does he know all this?” She finally exploded. He was getting too close and accurate with his random bursts of information.

“I am… well I was an angel of the Lord.”

“Was?”

“Heaven is locked out for all the angles and those of us left are stuck here on earth in our vessels.”

“Vessels?” Her eyebrows flew up, “Heaven is locked?” She looked between the three of them warily. “Your all of you insane.”

“Sweetheart people have been dying all over and everyone left has been has changed biologically. Crazy has a high bar.” Dean growled.

She frowned but looked thoughtful, turning her gaze to Castiel to consider him before she finally nodded. “Fine so he’s an angel. That doesn’t mean I’m about to trust any of you with anything. And quit reading in my head!”

Sam crouched to be put himself just a little below her line of sight. “I know that this is hard, my brother and I are both Alpha’s and Cas is an unknown to you. Trust is hard to find with all the crap going on. You don’t know us, you’re clearly a good person and you have some people that you are protecting and providing for… but we aren’t a threat. None of us would out you or your family to anyone else. I swear it.”

Jennifer looked away towards the mountains and frowned, what he said was true. There was no way she could shake them without a ton of luck and luck seemed to be something she didn’t have much of now. Even if she could make it to the river all they had to do was move the truck and she was screwed. If they were lying everyone was screwed… but if they were telling the truth…”

“IF I were to consider this there would have to be conditions. Things that all of you would have to agree to before I take a step in any direction.”

“Anything.”

“What things?”

The brothers both spoke at the same time and she considered them both in turn for a few minutes while her mind whirled. She could plan and if they did agree she’d be able to warn Chris and the others and then that would put the power back in their hands rather than these Alpha’s.

“One, you guys follow behind the truck as far as your car can actually go.”

“My baby can make it up any road.” Dean interrupted.

Jennifer ignored him and went on as if he hadn’t spoke. “Two, Once we reach a specific point you’ll ride in the truck and wear hoods that blind you until we reach where I’m going. Three, once we’re there you two will be put in a room away from the others and you’ll be watched by someone and at night you’ll be locked in.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me, how many more do you got?”

“FOUR, you’ll both be searched and loose any weapons until I’m satisfied that you aren’t a threat. Those are my terms and they are Non-negotiable. “ She lifted her chin in defiance, she knew they were a little outrageous but…

Sam stood up, grabbing his brother by the arm to drag him off a little further. They spoke, too quiet for her to overhear, and Dean did a lot of gesturing and shouting the occasional swear word.

Finally they turned back to her and while Dean looked irritated, Sam just looked relieved. “We’ll do it… uh, what **is** your name?”

For the first time since they found her she gave them a real smile. She chuckled, grateful that the ‘angel’ hadn’t given them or hadn’t found it. She considered holding back but… “Jennifer.”

“Jenny?” Sam asked.

She curled her lip back in a sneer, “Jennifer.”

“Got it.”

She nodded then stood up, “Alright, lets go.” She turned and headed back to the mall.

“Uh… Jennifer?”

She turned and arched a brow at them, “You interrupted my shopping, so now you get to help me finish it so I can be fully loaded then we’ll go.”

\------

Dean had stayed out of it mostly since Sam seemed to get more traction with her; at least he’d finally gotten her name as well as her agreement to let them follow her back to where ever home was. After, of course, they helped her get the rest of what she said she needed loaded into the back of the large brown box truck.

“Jenn.”

“What?” Sam looked over at his brother.

“Nothing.”

“Were you…”

“Shut up.” Dean snapped, embarrassed that he’d said her name loud enough for Sam to hear. He had admired her spirit once she started running from them and the further she pushed herself to escape the more it grew. Grew until he needed to catch her but hadn’t wanted to at the same time; everything in him demanded that he seize and take but he’d fought against the changes and how he was ‘supposed’ to be rather then follow along like most of the other Alpha’s that they’d run into.

Hell, the sudden capture of anyone that seemed to be an Omega made them both sick. The last thing that he needed was to bring an Omega into his crap life, they had enough on their plate without adding someone else to protect and worry about.

“I’ve just been wondering about her home or wherever it is that she’s been living. If Cas is right then there are others there too, god only knows how many.”

“What about it?” Dean glanced over at Sam.

“How are they living out of sight?” How have they not been found? I mean, not just by the assholes scooping up but by all of the monsters, the things out there, how is she keeping low out of the radar?”

“I don’t know man, maybe she has magic powers?” He grinned but Sam just rolled his eyes. They had begun to climb into the mountains and woods off the paved road and now off the gravel one. “Where the hell is this chick taking us?”

They made a sharp left turn and Dean swore under his breath as the truck stopped suddenly, then she was out of the truck and heading to them.

“What now?”

She glanced around, “The road gets really rough from here on out so if your car can’t make it I need to know now so I can plan for a place to keep it out of sight.”

“We’ll be fine.” Dean said, “This baby can make it anywhere.”

She just stared at them with raised eyebrows then shrugged, “Fine, it’s your undercarriage.” Part of her hoped that they would give up since she took the longest way possible, down all of the worst roads she knew. She headed back to the truck and they were off again. A few miles down the road and Dean was swearing as he worked to keep his car from getting gutted out.

“Damn, she wasn’t kidding about these shit roads.”

“If they get worse-“ Sam started to ask.

“I don’t know.” Dean snapped.

Jenn looked back in the side mirror again; the Impala was getting further behind. This was what she’d been hoping for, the truck she was in wasn’t fast but it was made to endure these roads and they would be lost if she just left them. They’d get back to the main road and she could forget about them completely… well almost completely. Damn biology.

She let out a breath from between clenched teeth and pulled up to a stop next to a partial field, waiting for them to catch up. Again. Once the car was in sight she scowled, “Park it over there and I’ll block it off with some shrubs. It’ll be out of sight.”

“I told you, it’ll be-“

“I don’t give a damn what you think your precious car will do. I’m telling you to park the damn thing and get your asses in my rig before I leave you behind to find your own damn way out.” She snapped.

Their eyes clashed as they stared each other down before Sam broke it up, “Dude, just park the damn car. It’s not like there’s anyone around to bother it.”

“Fine!” Dean gave her one last angry look before jerking the wheel and pulling over to where several short stumpy trees were growing. He fumed as he went back to the trunk and pulled out whatever he thought they might need away from baby.

Sam rolled his eyes knowing that Dean was just being stubborn. He turned to watch Jenn while she began to move some of the bushes and shrubs from the side of the road to block it off. “Need a hand?”

She waved a hand, “Don’t bother or I might just change my mind.” She blew out a breath. “I’ll be done in a sec and you two need to be loaded and ready to go.” She kept on going, dragging two shorter juniper trees to put into holes that she’d dug out then picked up a branch to sweep out her tracks and those of the two vehicles. While she worked, she planned and had something in mind once she was done.

By the time she was done both men were impressed, it looked natural and damn near impassable which was clearly the point. “How often do you do this?”

She looked up as she was dusting off her hands and smiled faintly, “Enough to be quick.” She went over to move a few more pieces and hid the car, kicking up dust till it covered the car.

Dean bit back a protest, he could see the value. If the car didn’t shine then no one would look twice at it if they could even find it way up here.

In a few more minutes they were loaded up in the truck and she was heading down, if it was possible, an even worse road. No one spoke till finally an hour later she stopped.

“Now where?” Sam questioned.

“Now you two put these on then these on and I’ll keep driving.” She handed them two bandanas’ and two bags.

“Seriously?” Dean protested, already knowing what she wanted. “Blindfolds and bags over our heads?”

“These are the terms you agreed to when I said I’d show you both the home. Put them on or get out and walk back. You won’t make it before sundown, if you make it out of here at all. City boys like you get lost in these woods all the time.”

She was being a bitch but right now she didn’t much care, it was almost a day later then she was supposed to be back and would take longer now that she had two passengers. No way in hell was she trusting them to know the exact route to get to her home. Even if she was going to have them locked up once they were there.

“Sorry but I even do this to people we rescue and bring back to keep safe. Only two of us know how to get in and out and that’s how it has to be.” She arched a brow at them challengingly, “Of course if we can trust you then it shouldn’t be a problem to trust me now.”

They sat there for a few minutes before Dean put his on with a growl, Sam just did it quietly and sat back. If this would help her trust them then it was a small price to pay.

It felt like hours later before she finally stopped and shut off the engine. “Stay here. Don’t peek.” She got out and headed to where the door had opened, guesting for Chris to come.

The guys heard people moving and some quiet voices talking. A door opened and closed twice more before Jennifer was back at the truck door and said anything. “Welcome to the refuge boys, you can take off the hoods.”

Dean had to squint at the light after the time they’d spent blind and looked around. They were still in the forest but obviously higher up in elevation then before. There wasn’t a building or a house or anything clearly visible. Nothing but a mound with an open door that a couple of men and some teens were standing around. **Armed** men and teens. “Sonofabitch. Sammy look at this.”

Sam was doing his own look and chuckled, “So that’s how they stay out of sight… they went and built something underground. Kind of reminds me of the bunker.”

“I know, right?”

“You two going to just stand there and admire or are you going to help out?” Jenn shouted. Once the two men were over she nodded to the new man. “Dean, Sam… this is Chris. Chris, meet the two Alpha’s that chased me down and swear they are only here to help.”

Chris frowned, staring hard and the two strangers that had arrived with Jennifer before he nodded. She had told him already who they claimed to be and while he respected her instincts, he wasn’t comfortable with what looked like danger entering their home. At least she had a plan. “Suppose we can always use some extra hands for the work.” He looked at the truck where the teenagers were playfully shoving each other, “Stop horsing around guys, we need to hustle and get this unloaded and out of sight.”

She looked around then turned as she heard her named being called, she smiled wide turning just in time to wrap her arms around her nieces and squeezed them tightly.

“You’re late.” Syd said, muffled against her aunt’s shoulder.

Halley didn’t say anything, just squeezed her tight.

“I know sweetie, I hurried.” She bowed her head, breathing in the scent of family and held her close. “I missed you too.”


	6. The refuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guys are brought into the refuge but there are still rules and more to work on before they're trusted by Jennifer, let alone the rest of the group.

By sunset all of the clothes, food and supplies had been unloaded and the truck was hidden in the trees completely out of sight. Chris locked the door behind them as the last kids came inside and everyone went off to do other things before the power would be turned down for the night.

Jenn showed Sam and Dean a room with two beds in it. “Sorry about the space but we’re tight for now so you’ll have to share. Lights out in a half hour, bathroom’s through that door there. Someone will come bang on your door when breakfast is ready. Any questions?”

“Yeah, where’s your room?” Dean asked.

She shook her head, “Sorry but you don’t need to know that right now. Are you going to go back on your deal with me? I won’t feel a bit sorry throwing you two outside to face our wilds.”

Sam spoke up before Dean could protest, he held up one hand but stayed where he was. “We aren’t going back, you have family to protect and we get that.”

She sighed hating all the arguing and tension, “Look, I still don’t completely trust you two still, but I will grant that you may not be completely untrustworthy so…. Little steps for now. I’ll show you both around proper tomorrow, now do you need anything before lights out?”

“Why light’s out?” Sam asked before Dean could say anything that might piss her off again.

She shrugged as if it should be obvious, “At night we have to draw power from the storage batteries to run everything here, it could attract attention we don’t want. During the day we have other means for getting power so it doesn’t matter as much. So at night we use the bare minimum to keep this place going.”

“How long as this place been here?” Dean asked quietly.

Her smile was almost haunted, “Five years.” She shrugged, “A few friends and myself had begun to hear rumors of things that didn’t jive right with us so we all put out every feeler we could in every place available. The bad feeling didn’t stop for any of us so we made a plan and picked this place to dig out a large enough crater to build a safe place to run to if there ever was a need for us all to hide out forever.”

“How did you manage to not get discovered with all the building going on?”

“Chris and Jamie both worked in construction, they had the equipment that we needed as well as the knowledge of how to build all this. There was also an engineer and a few ecologists that we knew to ask for a few bits of advice. I helped with design, knowing what we would need to survive and where things would have to be to draw the most amount of power from the elements without being found. It took a while but we managed. The dirt we pulled out we used to bury this place till only the door was visible at the right angle. We replanted things over it, stocked it up for a year with staples we might need to start with then everyone left to go home and wait… see if the end really was coming.” She looked down, almost winded from the long speech.

“So when things went to shit three years ago…” Dean started.

“We all grabbed whoever was still alive and hiding and fled here.” Her eyes glistened and she had to swallow a couple of times against the sudden sharp sorrow of knowing everyone else was either dead or worse. “Chris and I are the only two that made it from our circle.”

“Where is the rest of your family?” Dean asked the question, dreading the answer he was damned sure she was about to give.

Tears spilled from down her cheeks as she looked up, “Buried at home, the girls are all I have left in the world.”

“Sorry.” Dean raised his hand, hovering over her shoulder before giving it a squeeze. “Go ahead and lock the door. We’ll see you at breakfast.”

Jenn nodded, wiping at the tears and pulled back, irritated with herself for being so vulnerable with the two of them. She turned the lock then secured the bolts before swiftly heading for the room she shared with her nieces.

Sam watched as Dean sank onto his bed, head in his hands.

“At least now we know why she was so desperate to get back here.”

**\----**

Two weeks had gone by since Sam and Dean had shown up at the refuge and to Jennifer’s surprise they had stayed. Both had investigated everything inside and out, wanting to see how it had been built, how big it was, how they were drawing in power and where the batteries were. Both men had had many suggestions and some of them were actually pretty good.

It seemed every time she turned around one or both of them were fixing something or just studying everything. It was making her jumpy because half of the time they were around she could feel Dean’s eyes on her as clear as a touch and his scent was everywhere making it harder each day for her to focus.

With Sam it wasn’t as bad, she knew he was watching her but it just didn’t feel the same way and she didn’t feel closed in with him around her.

Dropping a kiss on Halley’s head she slipped out and headed down the hall to the library, they were finally at the point that some animals would be safe to bring in once they finished a protected out-building that they could keep them in overnight, protected from predators. She turned, her fingers trailing over the spines of different books till she found what she needed and let out a soft gasp as she ran directly into someone. Her senses telling her the space of a heartbeat who it was, “Dean.”

Dean caught her behind her elbow and kept her steady, “Careful.” The sound of his name and the way she said it sent jolts through his body. He stared down at her, closing the distance between them. Her pulse jumped under his fingers.

She drew in a ragged breath as the heat of his body and his scent wrapped around her, drugging her senses. Her eyes never left his and somehow that one thing made this so much more.

He hovered a bare inch from her mouth, their breath mingling before he sealed his mouth to hers swallowing her breathy whimper. He tried to go slow but her taste was as intoxicating as her scent and he needed.

The book fell from her limp fingers as her mind switched down and instinct took over, her hands curled into his shirt as she mewled and arched into him, into his touch. The heat from his hands was a brand that went through her clothes to her core.

“Dean have you seen… oh shit... sorry, sorry.”

Sam’s voice was like a bucket of ice water, the two sprung apart looking flushed and a little anxious. At least Jennifer did, Dean just looked hungry and frustrated.

She crouched down to grab the book and held it against her middle, “I… that… that shouldn’t have happened.”

“You kissed me.” Dean rumbled.

Her eyes widened as she bit her lower lip, “No, you kissed me.”

Dean’s green eyes were dark, “And you kissed me back.”

“Uh… not to interrupt, you know, again but when was your last heat Jenn?” Sam asked quietly.

She flicked a glance at Sam, grateful to have a reason to tear her eyes away from Dean. “I barely get them thankfully but I’m not due for a while. I haven’t been too frequent since the world exploded.”

She caught the look between the two brothers and frowned, dread clamping down on her stomach giving her a sick feeling. “What do you know that I clearly don’t?” When neither of them answered she growled, “Clearly you know something, spill it.”

“There are only the two Alphas here, right?” Sam asked.

She nodded slowly, “Yes, two of the teen boys in the past few months.”

“And before then…” He prompted.

“No, we pieced enough from the radio we had in the beginning and basic biology texts. Chris and I knew that if the radio was right then when I became sensitive to smells that I had to be changing, we just didn’t know if I was an Alpha or Omega.” She said the last quietly, “Chris couldn’t scent any changes and none of the kids did so we had to wait.”

“That’s why you haven’t had a proper heat; you weren’t ever exposed to any Alphas.” Dean rumbled from where he was, almost bracing himself against a wall so he didn’t reach out for her again.

Jenn didn’t say anything for a few minutes while the guys let her process what they were telling her.

“Jennif-“

“I got what you meant Sam,” She snapped at him, her temper sparking now. “Your saying that I’m going to be a horny little bitch to be breed and aren’t I just so lucky that you two found me. Well to hell with that.”

“No!”

“No!!”

Both men spoke at the same time and Sam even took a step back, his hands up as he shook his head. “No, no, no that isn’t what I’m trying to say.”

“Your going into a real heat, that’s what my brother is stumbling over and you’re spreading your damn scent all over the place.” Dean straightened away from the wall but he didn’t approach her.

“Well what about you?”

“What about me?”

“I’m not the only one throwing off scents everywhere. You’ve been doing it for three days.” She snapped.

“Wait,” Sam interrupted, “Dean has? What does he smell like? What do I?”

“What?” she looked at him, a little thrown at the questions before shaking her head a little, “Uh… you smell like warm dryer sheets.” She tried to not get trapped by Dean’s eyes again, “Dean… he smells like deer hide leather, gunpowder, fried zucchini.”

“So Sam stinks girly.”

“He does not.” She cracked a smile, “He smells like comfort when I was a kid.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Sam nodded, “You smell like vanilla and baking to me but that’s it. Just… homey smells. Which is why I’m going to leave and find something else to do today.”

Jenn looked at his retreating back, intensely aware of Dean’s presence in the library with her. She didn’t have to look at him to know where he was or that he was circling behind her, she just… knew. “So… what do I smell like to you?” She asked.

“Pie… fresh hot apple pie. Bacon, when it’s frying and my baby.”

“I smell like a car??”

“You smell like every good thing I’ve ever had and always want.” He was right behind her now and lifted her hair to breathe in her scent. “I don’t want an Omega. Me and Sam, our lives suck and that was before everything went to hell. I wouldn’t take you with us.”

“I wouldn’t go…. I can’t leave here. They need me.” She breathed out, “What… what happens if we give into this?”

“I could knot and claim you, mark you so every other Alpha around knows that you belong to me.”

“But you won’t stay… and if I lock myself away till this is over?”

“It’ll hurt for both of us and you might survive it but it’ll happen regularly from now on and get worse as time goes on.”

“Wonderful.” She breathed out with a half laugh and closed her eyes, she wasn’t an innocent virgin, she’s had a few partners but sex wasn’t something that she really had enjoyed. His touch was making her body quiver and all she wanted was to turn around and loose everything in his arms. “I’ll… I need to think about this first.”

Dean waited even though it was killing him to be this close to her, so intent on her scent that he almost missed what she said. “Come again?”

“I said… look I’m not saying no, just not yet. Okay? You won’t stay but you’re here now and clearly willing but I’m not…. Not yet.” She shook her head, turning and backing away from him.

“When?” He bit out, hating how she backed away from him. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and pull her body against his, “Where?”

“Your room, Sam can have another for a while.” She shook her head feeling lightheaded, “I’ll make the arrangements for it today.”

“Thought you said there weren’t-“  


She shrugged, “I lied.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is definitely going to be longer then I expected. It just keeps coming. I was trying for more fluff but I think it may be more angst... hopefully. If I write it right.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always welcome.


	7. A deccision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jennifer has to make a decision that doesn't feel like a real choice.

She abandoned her books and research to go outside. The girls would be watched after and she’d talked to Chris to explain what she now knew about herself and what was happening.

“I don’t like it.” Chris groused; he was protective of everyone here including Jennifer. Part of him had thought of trying something with her but it had always felt weird. She was like his sister and if he was honest, she was a little scary when she was intent.

“I know, I’m not a huge fan of it myself.” She sighed, wiping at the light sheen of sweat that was building on her face. “I had to dig deep into biology and only the animal basics were there. We’re in completely uncharted territory here and you know it as well as I do.” She looked tired and a little defeated. “If they’re right and Dean can help me not suffer once they go then it’s a small price to pay.”

“You know what this means through, right?” Chris frowned, worried for her. “You can’t be the one doing supply runs. Not if any Alpha can track your scent.”

Her face went white and she trembled a little, “Oh gods, I didn’t even think about that. I’d be leading them right here.” Her vision blurred as tendrils of panic made her struggle for breath for a few minutes. Once the panic faded the anger set it, anger and whatever set all this crap into motion. “I can’t leave here anymore… I’d be a magnet.” She whispered, leaning forward to rest her forehead on his chest.

He held her loosely and rubbed her back, “Shhh, it’s alright. We’ll figure it out, we always do. There’s scent blockers and we’ll find a way to get news in better so that we can help the others as they come of age.”

Her smile was wan as she straightened up, “You’re a good friend Chris and I know your right. We’ll figure it out somehow. See if Anna can start looking into anything she can find about animals in heat, scents…. Anything that might be useful. I’ll ask…” She frowned, hating to be in debt to either Dean or Sam. “I’ll ask Sam if he has anything about the changes or if he can fill you and the others in on what they know.”

“Where are you going to go?”

She stopped, realizing that her long walk wouldn’t be practical now. She’d only be spreading her scent everywhere. She felt helpless and more than a little defeated. “I’m going to go find the girls to explain what I can then I guess I’m going to be holed up with… with Dean this this stops.” She couldn’t stop the tremor in her voice at the thoughts that came flooding of him.

“Is that wise?”

She looked at her friend feeling eager and sad all at once. “I can feel symptoms building and getting stronger, it doesn’t look like I have a choice.”

\----

Jennifer left her room and let out a deep breath, food and water were arranged to be dropped by the door of Dean’s room. Sam was moved into his own room. The girls had taken her news better than she’d thought they would. Now all she had to do was find Dean and get this over with. Hopefully it wouldn’t hurt like the other times or her acting skills would be good enough for him to think she was enjoying herself.

Squaring her shoulders, she headed down the halls following his scent to find him. She stopped by the door to gather up her courage before it fled again, and she went with a more passive way of agreeing but she refused to be a coward.

Turning the corner into the doorway of small shop she paused, startled to have his eyes already fixed on her. “I…uh,” She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, feeling her face turn red as she struggled. “Okay.”

Dean knew she was inside again, knew when she was getting closer and he knew by her scent that she was right outside the room. He just waited and watched till she appeared but said nothing. Hell, he wasn’t sure he trusted himself to say anything as she struggled. Her scent had only gotten richer and thicker the past day and a half, it was driving him crazy. Take apart his guns and clean them four times crazy. He was lost in her scent when he finally registered what she’d said. Slowly he set down the last piece and wiped his hands on the towel. “Are you sure? I may not be able to stop if I get my hands on you.”

She worried her lips but nodded, keeping eye contact with him. “I’ve had enough time to consider and to make arrangements for the girls.”

Dean got to his feet, irritated that his hands shook just a little. “Walk to my room, I’ll be right behind you.”

She made a noise of protest or confusion; he wasn’t sure which. “Look if I touch you now, I’m going to fuck you right here no matter who walks in and watches.”

Her lips quirked and she nodded, turning around quickly and walking swiftly to his room. Heat pooled in her center and she hoped that this wasn’t something she was going to live to regret.

\----

They spent three days together in Dean’s room before either of them felt stable enough to leave and join the others. Jennifer laid on the bed listening to the shower run, she felt wrung out and barely able to move… of course she’d reached for him probably as often as he reached for her. She flushed red thinking back at how insatiable they had both been. She’d been startled that she needed to muffle the sounds he dragged out of her. Sounds he all but demanded she let loose no matter how loud she got.

So much for thinking she was going to be just something she laid back and endured. The sex had been… well she had no way to describe it. It certainly was more than she’d bargained for. Everything she’d ever dreamed or imagined that sex could be, Dean had shown her that it was and more.

_“You thought what now?” He looked down at her with a smug grin as he played with her hair._

_She swatted at it, feeling her blush. “Well how was I to know that sex was something I’d actually enjoy?”_

_“Woman, did you just insult my abilities?” He growled playfully, nipping at her neck._

_She huffed out a laugh, “I’m not about to add to your ego. It was great sex and you know it. I just…” She looked away, not at all surprised when he pulled her face back to his so he could see her eyes. He did that a lot. “I’ve never enjoyed sex with anyone before. I just learned to fake it so I didn’t hurt anyone’s feelings and was just glad it was over. Hell I wasn’t even sure that I’d ever had an orgasm before.” At his snort she gave him a shove, “I’m serious, how would I know what it felt like when I’d never had one before?”_

_“Guess I’ll just have to keep reminding you what they feel like.” He kissed her as his fingers went wandering back down between her legs, making her gasp and squirm._

They ate at some of the food left but mostly drank water when they weren’t having sex or passed out. Oddly enough she was surprised that she was able to sleep with him either curled up around her or sprawled out. Always he had at least one hand wrapped around part of her, like he needed to be sure that she was still there.

She lay there, watching him sleep as she felt a twinge in a place she didn’t know could twinge. Apparently her previous heats hadn’t really been much of anything, now that she had something to compare them to she was secretly grateful that Dean and Sam had turned out to be pretty decent guys. She turned on her side to watch him sleep and knew she had to be cautious, he wasn’t staying and she had to keep that in mind, instead of letting herself dream of what could be.

She’d only mentioned future supply runs once before but he’d just said ‘later’ and she hadn’t brought anything up again. Gently she carded her fingers through his hair, marveling at how soft it was. She trailed the tips of her fingers over his jaw, catching the stubble and blushing when she remembered how it felt on her thighs.

She lifted his arm just enough to wriggle under and curl up against him, he radiated heat and she wanted to soak in what she could, while she could.

Dean felt her shifting around but let her explore, she had been shy at first. Barely being able to say what she wanted and every time he made her repeat him she’d turned red but blurted it out quickly. He felt her fingers explore before she snuggled against him. He tightened his arms around her and opened his eyes, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling. He’d always enjoyed sex but this had been… had been much more intense then he had expected.

Deliberately he hadn’t got near any Omegas let alone taking any to bed but with her he couldn’t stop himself. Not from anything even marking her as his. His control was gone he loved how completely uninhibited she’d turned. He’d marked her more then once and he’d knotted her just about every time and in spite of his best intentions he’d gotten to know her as much as he could.

She’d been startled, he remembered, when he’d knotted her the first time.

_Jennifer stretched, arching her back a little when she felt the tug. Belatedly she remembered feeling something… larger before she’s shattered. “What the…. HELL?!”_

_He groaned, keeping his arm locked around her. “Baby, there’s more I better explain about this… just… hang on.” _

_She’d gone still, even snuggling her ass back and waited. He’d learned that she had a lot of patience when she wanted something. So he’d explained about knotting and what he could remember about what it all meant._

_Her voice had been soft when she’d spoken again. “So… because I’m in heat and you knotted me, I will probably get pregnant?”_

_“No. Not necessarily, but it’s possible.” Gods he hoped she wouldn’t be. He didn’t know enough about it all to be sure. “Since it’s your first real heat and I’m not in rut, it would take longer for that to happen. Like your next heat or one after that.”_

_She’d nodded and lay there until his knot went down and she was able to finally turn around to look at him properly. “Okay then.” Her face flushed pink, “So then… how long before you’re ready to do… that thing you mentioned before?”_

_He grinned, “Sweetheart, just give me a couple of minutes and I’ll figure out a way to do that ‘thing.’”_

It was hours later… or maybe the next day before they’d lain together, just talking quietly while his hand explored hers. She’d told him about her parent’s getting sick and having to bury not only them but most of the rest of her immediate family. Helping bury neighbors and risking her life to check houses and drive out a night to try and find the rest of her family once technology crapped out those first few months. She’s been completely alone, unable to trust anyone left alive once people began to get grabbed and disappearing. She’s saved everyone she could but blamed herself for everyone she couldn’t.

“I should have made them come with me, dragged them if I had to.”

“You couldn’t save everyone, you did everything you could. You should be proud of who you did save.”

“I haven’t been able to shake the guilt that I didn’t… couldn’t save more.”

“I get it baby, I do. Sammy and I haven’t had anyone in a long time; we’ve had to bury too damn many friends and family.”

“That sucks ass, I’m so sorry.”

She turned in his arms to face him and cupped his cheek in her hand, she knew he didn’t plan to stay and while she was surprised to find that it hurt she knew she wouldn’t say anything. She’d learned more about him from what he didn’t say as what he did say and to her horror she knew she was getting attached to him… maybe even falling in love, not like she knew what that was either. For now she was determined to enjoy the time they had and take every minute together she could get with him.

She kissed him softly and continued to hold him, the past two years had been harsh lessons in empathy with all the people she’d had to try and comfort. She’d learned to just be silent and hold them or just be there with them.

“Yeah… at least I had Sam and you have Sydney and Halley.”

She smiled gently, “Yes, I have them and I’ve grown to love the others but they’re the last of my blood…”

“I know.” He tightened his arms around her lying like that with her before holding wasn’t enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the positive feedback and Kudos. It's nice to know people are enjoying reading this.


	8. Stay or go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Dean has spent a heat with her will he stay or leave her behind?

Finally the last of her heat faded out and they both slept for almost 12 hours. Once they’d finally showered and had come out she had gone to check on the girls and held them close, soaking in the love and pouring it back into her nieces.

Dean watched but hung back, he didn’t want to get attached to her. There were still monsters out there to hunt and he had his own life with his brother, their own place in Kansas. He couldn’t stay here. He was pulled from his thoughts by Jennifer’s voice.

“Dean?” she arched a brow at him, “These are my nieces, Halley and Sydney. Girls, this is Dean.”

“Hi.” The little girl smiled up at him, “Thanks for saving my Aunt when she was gone.”

“Your welcome.”

“Aunt Jenn can I go?”

“Yeah, go play. Be careful.” She chuckled and watched till they were alone again. “How long before you and Sam will have to go?”

“I don’t know yet.” He watched her nod.

“Okay… well I have work to do so…” She trailed off, “I guess I’ll see you.”

He frowned and turned her around, backing her up against the wall and kissing her hard, stealing her breath and taking in her scent. He growled low before releasing her, part of him smugly satisfied to see her dazed expression.

“I…” It was hard but she made herself turn and head to the gardens. Her heat had lasted long enough and while it had been wonderful to have him hold her she refused to let herself build dreams. Now if only he wouldn’t kiss her like that or growl against her ear till she was soaked and needing him.

Dean watched her go then headed outside. He found Sam outside working to clear an area in some trees.

“Hey man.” Sam grinned when he spotted his brother; he looked over to see if Jenn was with him. “Where’s-“

“She had work to do.” Dean frowned, “What are you doing?”

“They were planning to build something to put animals in.”

“Animals?”

“Yeah, you know. Cows, goats, sheep, chickens, mules if we can find them too.”

“We? Dude we’re not staying. We have a job to do and a home to get back to.”

Sam straightened from where he’d been working help stack logs that were being split. He’d enjoyed working on building this place up and he was oddly getting fond of it. “We don’t have to always live forever in the bunker Dean, this place is pretty damn nice.”

“It’s not warded against anything, it’s not protected like the bunker and we need all the lore that’s there.”

“So we go get it or we just hang it up and-“

“And what Sam? Leave everyone out there unprotected from all the monsters and shit that’s still out there? We know what’s out there and there are too damned few of us to pick up the slack left.”

“Yeah we do and now it’s more then just vampires, werewolves, and ghouls. Now there’s Alpha’s and some kind of messed up slavery for Omegas.”

“Exactly and it’s our job to deal with all those things and save as many people as we can. We can’t do that here.”

“What about Jenn? You claimed her, she’s your Omega. You’re telling me that you can just walk away and leave her here?”

“She’ll be safer here.” Dean frowned, “She already said she was okay with this, she knew we weren’t staying.”

“Dude, you’re an idiot.” Sam said quietly before going back to stacking the rest of the logs to be split. “The y brought your car up, its in the back in a shop.”

“They have a shop?”

Sam smirked, “Dude, there’s a lot more to this place that we didn’t see in the first tour.” He gestured, “It’s that way. Blue door on the left.”

Dean nodded and headed that way, he’d find something to do with himself.

\----------

After dinner Dean tried to get Jenn alone but someone was constantly around. He finally found her in a quiet room full of overstuffed furniture that didn’t match. Jennifer sat in a chair with her nieces curled up in her lap, humming softly while the others were sprawled around. Some were reading, some of the kids were doing homework but everyone was basically quiet. Enjoying a nice night.

This had to be the warmest or at least the homiest room that the boys had seen of all. Almost like out of a movie or some book. It didn’t feel like any other place he’d ever seen before. Even in other homes they went into.

“Excuse me.” Two of the boys passed by where Sam and Dean stood and set out a couple pots of popcorn.

“Have a seat guys.” Chris passed them as well and scooped up a small girl, kissing her cheek. “Who’s turn tonight?”

“It’s Aunt Jenn’s turn.” Halley piped up from where she was. “Please Aunt Jenn?”

Jennifer just smiled and swayed a little where she was while she hummed softly for a few minutes, then started to sing quietly. “_I was born under a wandering star, I was born under a wandering star…”_

Dean sat down listening to her sing the simple song which turned into another song and several more after that. All of them soft and sung simply but they were still beautiful in spite of how sad they were. She was beautiful, sitting there like that while stroking her niece’s hair and smiling at the different people in the room. His chest hurt as he had an image of how she’d look holding their child and the ache of wanting that image scared him shitless because of how badly he wanted to make it real.

Sam was awed by her singing, but he’d caught the looks she was sending his brother when Dean wasn’t looking. Sad and sort of wistful. One of the kids had asked for songs from some show he’d never heard of but they seemed to be familiar to all the people here.

“Sing Julie’s song next.”

Jennifer looked down at the girl who’d asked and licked her lips, nervously darting a look at where Dean was sitting. She’d never refused a song no matter how many times she’d sung it but now…

“Please?” Sam asked unknowingly striking a nerve.

“How about I sing ‘Bill’ instead?”

“No, no, sing Julie’s song. Please.”

A chorus of pleas sounded and Jennifer sighed, closing her eyes as she began to sing. “_Oh listen sister, I love my mister man. And I can’t tell you why. It must be somethin’ that the angles done planned…” _

The room was quiet as she sang the slow melody and she tried to keep from looking at Dean as the song progressed but she found her gaze snared by his and the tears that had been threatening to fall managed to spill out and two fell down her cheeks before she simply closed her eyes and sat back to finish the song.

Chris cleared his throat once she was done, “Alright, I think Jenn’s earned a rest. I’ll read tonight.” He picked up a book and opened it to a worn bookmark and began to read.

“What the white whale was to Ahab, has been hinted; what, at times, he was to me, as yet remains unsaid. Aside from those more obvious considerations touching Moby Dick, which could not but occasionally awaken in any man’s soul some alarm, there was another thought, or rather vague, nameless horror concerning him, which at times by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet ….”

Jennifer listened quietly to the story, waiting for everyone’s attention to be focused on Chris before she used the advantage to kiss her nieces, whispering that she had to go do some work but she’d be back. She slipped out hoping to disappear before anyone realized she was gone.

“Jenn, heyheyhey, wait.” Sam caught her by the arm just a few yards down the hall. “He’s just-“

“It’s okay Sam; I’m not asking you guys to stay.” She shook her head, interrupting him. “I know you have very important work that you both do and I respect that.”

Sam tried to catch her eyes but her head was bowed too low so he just pulled her into a hug, her head didn’t even quite reach his shoulder. She returned the hug loosely but she didn’t relax, just stayed stiff like she was afraid to relax for what might happen.

“He wants to stay, I know he does deep down even if he won’t admit it. He’s just… afraid to let someone get close and matter. It doesn’t work out for us very well.”

The ache in her heart intensified but she kept her face neutral. “I have to get some work done before lights out.” She said, pushing away from him and walking swiftly towards the kitchen area with her arms wrapped around her middle.

“Let her go Sammy, its better this way.” Dean said tiredly behind him.

“You belong together and if you’d get your head out of your ass you’d see that. There’s more then enough work here for us to help. We can hunt from here and not have to be gone more than a couple of days.”

“What about all the people out there, huh? Who’s going to help them?” Dean frowned, “Leave it Sam. We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

Sam tried to change Dean’s mind but he refused to bend.

Before lights out Jennifer went in to tuck in her nieces, talking softly to them before they prayed together for everyone they loved that was gone. She left water for them and shut off their lights and slipped out. Her eye sight was good enough that she could see even when the lights went dim, that and she had a candle that lit up enough for a while.

Dean caught her by the kitchen, wordlessly he pulled her close and held her, burying his nose in her hair as he did his best to commit her scent to memory. She hesitated then slipped her arms around his waist and just held onto him. They both knew he was leaving and nothing either one could say was going to make it better or change anything. Part of him almost wished that she would fight back against it but he was selfishly grateful that she didn’t.

She looked up at him, “I should go to bed.”

He nodded but didn’t let go. “Stay in my bed… no sex, just-“ He swallowed, “Just one more night.” He couldn’t read her eyes in the dim light but he felt her nod.

“Alright.”

They lay in the big bed just holding onto each other, taking comfort in the warmth and familiar scent of each other.

But when he woke up the next morning she was nowhere to be found.

They packed up and shook hands with a few people, Sam kept shooting him irritated looks but said nothing. Dean looked around the faces before getting into the Impala and following a rusty pickup truck down a somewhat nicer road. He wanted to see her just one more time before they left but maybe it was better this way.

Jennifer watched tucked out of sight from the doorway the next morning, she had already had a cry in the women’s quarters and in spite of her resolve she found herself watching as _her_ Alpha and his brother got into their car and drove off. She ducked back into the shadows when Dean looked around again, her heart was already clenching painfully as they disappeared out of sight. Split between knowing she _had_ to stay and wanting to run after him.

Someone called her name from inside and she turned, promising herself a good cry once everyone was in bed later on that night and couldn’t hear her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't think I'd be done enough to finish another chapter but I thought I'd get it up. So yay, I'm posting twice in one day.


	9. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After three years, Sam has had enough of Dean's stubbornness.

**\----Three years later----**

Sam half carried, half dragged Dean to the Impala hurrying to get him in so he could slow the blood loss and get somewhere to rest before they went on to another case. This was supposed to have been a simple vamp nest but the nest had let in werewolves. The only reason they had managed to get enough of an upper hand was the moon wasn’t near full yet.

Behind them the abandoned barn was burning, it was their fourth case this week and Sam was exhausted in every way possible. They both needed sleep and time to heal up.

A few miles away he found an abandoned house where he stitched his brother up. There wasn’t much but it would do for the night. Then he’d drive them… somewhere.

Three years they had hunted down every lead, every monster, even a few Alpha rings and every time that Sam thought they’d take a break Dean had another case a few states over. Except never near the Pacific Northwest. Those he farmed out to other local hunters to take care of. Sam had tried to bring up Jenn several times but it only made Dean more tight-lipped. Even Cas had tried before Dean had simply exploded.

“This is the way it is!! I swear to God if either of you bring her up one more time I’ll use this shotgun on you and leave you there.” He snarled, stalking off and slamming the door behind him.

Sam knew Dean’s ruts weren’t easy but they seemed to be a little worse each time. He’d hole himself up away from everyone else and only appear a few days later.

Sam used those days to research, he’d found out a lot about what was now known about Alpha’s and Omegas. Both could take pills to help regulate their heats and ruts, he’d found a way to get some suppressants for Omega’s sent to Jennifer though it had taken a lot of work to find someone he could trust to make the drop for Chris to pick up. It was a lot of work but if it helped his brother’s woman then he was willing to do it. Hell he’d make the drop himself if he could ever get Dean to go further west then South Dakota.

He knew about the shirt of Jenn’s that Dean had hidden away in his room and wondered just how long before someone broke.

“He is not doing well without her.”

Sam looked up at Cas and grimaced, “He won’t talk about her and I’m not willing to bring her up anymore. I’m worried about him… hell I’m worried about her.”

Cas got a distant look in his eyed then shrugged, “She is doing well enough for an abandoned Omega.”

Now as a storm came screaming in, unleashing a torrent of rain Sam checked on Dean and swore under his breath as he felt the start of a fever. He hesitated until the sun started to come up and the rain abated a little before making his decision. Dean was going to be pissed but he’d deal with it.

Dean could just deal with his decision once he woke up but Sam was more then ready to be done hunting, not that there was much more to do, the mysterious plague that killed humans had killed monsters too. They’d killed a lot but he’d been talking to other hunters and there just wasn’t a lot to do all the time. Most leads turned out to be Alpha’s or nothing at all.

Loading up the Impala with what they had he pointed it west and began to drive. It took him three days of almost solid driving before he saw the markers he’d been looking for, a notch in one of the mountains that would line up with an unused road.

He hadn’t remembered as well as he thought he would but eventually he found the road he needed and headed the car down it. Sam knew that they would hear and see the car and someone would come down for them, he just hoped they wouldn’t take too long. Dean’s fever hadn’t gone down, it had only gotten worse and he’d barely been able to take in any liquids. Sam did what he could but it wasn’t enough.

A couple of hours later he parked the car and was brushing out tracks when he heard his name.

“Sam? Well damn boy, it’s good to see you.” Chris stepped out carrying a semi automatic rifle over his shoulder, another man a few steps behind him that carried a shotgun.

Sam smiled and clasped hands with Chris. “It’s great to see you too.”

“Your brother in the car?”

“Yeah, he’s pretty bad off.”

Chris nodded to the man behind him who disappeared back in the trees only to reappear a few minutes later in a rusted out jeep. “Come on, let’s get you both back to the refuge.”

Chris got into the jeep and Sam followed, grateful that the road was still fairly easy to get up. Once they were there they unloaded Dean from the car and headed for an empty room.

“What the hell took you two so damn long?” Chris muttered as he helped lay Dean down, not that he expected an answer. A tall blonde woman appeared at the door, coming in to greet the men.

“We got one down, injured and sick.” Chris said quietly and nodded, heading off to get supplies that would be needed.

“We were on a job and there was more then we counted on, I got banged up but the fever set in with Dean and he hasn’t been himself for the past few days. I did what I could but…” He shrugged.

Chris nodded, “You did good getting here, the others are checking the roads to wipe out your trail in the dust. We’ll get him back up to speed.”

Sam sank into a chair gratefully, he was about to ask about Jenn when he heard her voice.

“Sam?”

He got up and hugged her hard, “I tried to get him here sooner, I swear I did.”

“Hush.” She squeezed him tight then stepped back. “It’s good to see you but you need a little doctoring I see.”

“Jenn.” Chris’s voice caught her attention and she sucked in a breath as soon as she saw Dean’s body laying on the bed. His scent was weaker and she could smell the sick.

\------

Jennifer smiled as she watched the children working and playing in the garden but turned when someone called her name from the entry. “What’s wrong?”

“Chris found a couple of guys, one’s injured and really sick.”

“I’ll be right there.” She stood waved her Syd over, “Your in charge, I have to go help someone sick.”

“Alright Aunt Jenn.” She grinned and went to find the kids to watch over.

Jennifer stood there watching for a moment before she went to get the med bag and followed to where the newcomers were. Her stride faltered just a little as she approached the room and froze in the doorway, her fingers going cold as a scent hit her. “Sam?”

The tall man turned and while he looked weary and harder his face still lit up when he smiled. “Jenn.” He was at her side in two long strides and pulled her into a tight hug. “I tried to get him here sooner, I swear I tried.”

She hugged him tightly, pulling him down to kiss his cheek and shook her head, “I’m just glad you’re both still alive and… what happened?” She spotted Dean on the bed and instantly was at his side. Her small hands felt his slack face and she was already digging in her bag.

“Vamps and werewolves, we got them but we both took some hits. Dean took the brunt of it, he’s ripped up pretty bad but he wasn’t feeling great before we found them. I’m not sure if it’s the flu or what but he hasn’t woken up.”

She nodded as she checked Dean’s body then sighed. “Alright… Chris have my Kayla fetch my herb bag and some cool water. Sam, come help me get him changed out of these clothes.”

They got Dean down to his boxers before Sam was ordered out. “I mean it, you need a shower, food, and rest. In that order. Do yourself or I’ll get someone to do it for you.” Jenn frowned at him, “Once you’re clean and fed I’ll get you patched up and then I want you to sleep. You look like a strong wind would knock you over.”

Kayla, the blonde woman, appeared and gave him a grin before sitting down and helping Jennifer start on getting Dean stitched up and cleaned up.

Sam rubbed the back of his neck and sheepishly went to shower as ordered and to get something to eat, trusting that Jenn had Dean well in hand.

She worked quickly, checking his wounds before dealing with the fever. She reached knowing Kayla would hand her what she needed, they’d done this several times before over the years they’d been here. She bathed his face and chest and with help they were able to get some medicine and water down him before she turned to work on making a paste then spreading it like Vicks over his chest.

She knew a reapply would be needed possibly in a few hours but now that he was stable she wanted to check on Sam. Starting to get up she felt Kayla’s hand on her shoulder. She glanced over, “Stay, I’ll go make sure the other one is eating and following instructions.”

“Thank you Kayla.” Jenn sighed and settled back down, taking Dean’s hand in hers and stroking her fingers over his knuckles. “I don’t know how I feel about you being back.” She whispered knowing it was a lie she told herself.

Later once Sam was rested and patched up he went back to check on his brother, not at all surprised to find Jennifer at his side. The smell in the room was a little foul but hopefully it was because of what she was putting on Dean’s chest. “What’s that do?”

“Well with luck it’ll help him sleep easier and with the cold cloths on top we’ll force his blood to this area to absorb the medicine in faster. It’s an old trick my mom use to do with me.”

“So now… we just wait?” Sam asked.

Jenn looked up at him with a sigh, “I know it’s not easy but yes, we wait. You look like you could use more sleep. Don’t worry; we’ll get him better in spite of himself. You too.” She gave his hand a squeeze, pushing herself up to her feet. “I’ll be back to check on you both.”

She left the room quickly and headed for the furthest place away from Dean and his scent. She honestly hadn’t expected to ever see him again, not after the first year had passed and no word. Now to have them back here, she closed her eyes and breathed out trying to clear her head knowing that she wouldn’t be able to relax or rest until Dean’s fever broke and he was on the mend.

It was several hours before she was able to let herself be in the room and simply stay there to take care of them both but always left for last meal to check on the kids before going back. She checked on Sam when she returned and once she was sure that he was doing alright she went to sit beside Dean, taking his larger hand in hers.

She woke up a few hours later curled up next to Dean on the bed with no memory of moving there. She pushed herself up checking his face with her hand and let out a sigh of relief, his fever was gone. Carefully she got up out of the bed and was almost to the door when Sam called her name.

“Jenn… how is-“

“His fever is gone but he needs sleep now… as do you.” She smiled tiredly, “I’ll see you when you wake.”


	10. The new, the unchanged, the completely different

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once Dean regains consciousness this is a lot for him to learn about.

Dean felt as if he’d been lost in darkness forever, the kind that wraps around you and slowly suffocates with no hope or any way to get out of it. The kind that should make you simply want to give up and let it take you but Dean never could take an easy way out. He opened his eyes and squinted trying to focus and see where he was. He felt like someone had taken a bat and beaten him for days and the bed under him didn’t feel like the one at the bunker.

The door opened and he looked over seeing Sam walk in. “About damn time you woke up.”

“How long was I out?”

“Almost six days, you took some hits with that werewolf pack then you passed out and didn’t wake up again.”

“Thanks for patching me up man.”

“I didn’t do very much really; mostly I just drove us to a safe place.”

“Yeah about that… where-?”

“Sam? I brought some food for you, I need you to take it easy though, don’t think I don’t know about you outside working. I told you to take it easy, Dean will wake…. Oh, you’re awake. Good.” Jennifer hip bumped the door open, carrying in a tray with breakfast food on into the room. Her face lit up with a relieved smile though it didn’t banish the shadows from her eyes. She set the tray down by Sam’s bed and gave him a firm push. “You lay back down, you were half dead yourself and I’m not nursing you both at the same time.”

Sam sat back down on the bed and didn’t bother to protest. He was tired but he didn’t feel as worn down though he was more then willing to humor her. “Yes ma’am.”

She frowned at him, going over to take a bowl of broth from the tray. “I mean it Sam, you skin down to skivvies and you stay in bed for today or I’ll be back to strip you down myself.. You both of you need to rest, give your bodies time to recoup.” She went over to sit beside Dean, setting the bowl down before helping him sit up better.

Dean realized what she meant to do as soon as she sat back down, “I can feed myself.”

“Wonderful, we’ll try that tomorrow.” She held the bowl in one hand and brought the spoon to his mouth, “Today you’ll let **me** do it.”

“Oh really?”

She stared hard at him, “Yes, now let me feed you or I may just **throw** it on you instead.” Their gaze stayed locked as she touched the spoon to his mouth, surprised that the let her feed him the whole bowl.

She looked over at Sam once not surprised that he’d fallen asleep, “You were in very bad shape when he got you here.”

“How long have I been here?”

“Three days and I’d like to keep you in bed for at least one more before you get up and moving. The gash in your arm wasn’t too bad but the one on your thigh is going to take a little time to heal.” Her hand shook a little as she remembered how she’d had to reopen the wound to clean it before re-stitching him back up again and wrapping it.

“I’m not broken; I can get up just fine.” There was no way in hell he was going to just lay around or admit how badly he hurt, being this close to her after being gone was already torture enough.

She set the bowl down calmly, turning in her chair to face him directly, “Dean Winchester, you’re going to stay in bed, take the medicines I give you and get better because if you rip my stitches because your being stubborn, I’ll have you tied down to the bed for a week.”

He loved how her eyes flashed at him with the spark of her temper and all he wanted to do was reach out to pull her into his lap and hold her close, breathe in her scent till he was drunk on it. Instead he stayed where he was and fisted both hands in his lap. “I’d know better then you if I’m okay.”

“Well that’s just too bad because for now you get to do as I tell you.” Her features softened as she stood up and picked up the bowl, putting it on the empty tray. She pulled the blanket up over Sam and brushed the hair back from his face. “Please don’t fight with me Dean, you’re both exhausted and Sam needs this rest as much as you do.” She scooped up the tray and paused in the doorway looking back at him then left, shutting the door.

\------

Sam was deemed recovered enough to be up and doing some things around the refuge by the next day. Dean had to wait another day after that, then got up anyway. His stitches pulled tight a little as he pulled his clothes on and went out of the room. He was starving; all Jennifer would let him have was soup and toast. The smell of bacon drew him to the kitchen where some blonde woman he’d never seen was cooking.

She smiled as she saw him, “Help yourself to some food, the guys went out back if you want to join them.”

“Yeah, maybe.” He filled up a plate with bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes and pancakes though by the time he was done he hadn’t been able to eat all of it. “Do you know where Sam went?”

She added some chopped carrots to a large pot, “I believe he went with the rest of the guys out the back way though I couldn’t say what they’re doing.”

He thanked her and went off to find his brother, checking several places before he finally found his brother outside helping lift a beam to what looked like some kind of narrow one room house. He also hadn’t seen or scented Jenn anywhere inside and she wasn’t here either but he told himself he didn’t really care where she was.

“Hey man.” Sam spotted him and used the back of his arm to wipe sweat from his forehead, “How you feeling?”

“Don’t you start, I’m fine Sam.”

Sam laughed, “Jenn _still_ doesn’t want you up yet?”

“I didn’t ask her.” He frowned at the small building. “What are you building?”

Sam wiped his hands on his jeans and looked back, “Chris said it’ll be a smoker, they found the design in an old book and I figured I could help.” When his brother looked around again he grinned, “She isn’t out here working.”

“I wasn’t looking for her, shut up.” He gave his brother a shove and the two of them worked till lunch helping finish the getting the smoke house built and reinforced. Though he was careful to not pull his stitches.

Sam was the one to ask after lunch when he hadn’t seen her appear.

Kayla waved a hand towards the window. “If she’s not back yet then she’s still hunting probably.”

“Wait… hunting?”

“Yeah, she goes out every so often. Sometimes it’s Chris but usually Jenn goes, she’s the better hunter.”

“Thanks, good food you made… I mean lunch, it was good.”

She chuckled, “Your welcome Sam.”

He left the kitchen to find Dean, “Did you know she’s a hunter?”

“Who’s a hunter?”

“Jennifer. Kayla said that was probably what she was doing right now.”

“A hunter?” Dean straightened up, “What the **hell** is she thinking going out alone?!”

“I usually go alone and I’m quite good. I should be I was raised with a family that hunted.”

Dean and Sam turned around when her voice sounded behind them; she was in camouflage pants and a dark long sleeved shirt with some kind of leather on her feet. Her hair was tied back and there was some blood splattered on her face but it looked like it had dried.

“What about spreading your scent around?” Sam asked.

She grinned a little, “We figured it out.”

“How?”

She shrugged again but didn’t answer, “Since you’re both up and not doing anything else can you help me? It’s heavy and I’ve already carried it a long way and I’m too tired to get it into the shop.” She didn’t wait for an answer, just turned and headed back down a different hallway. She paused to hand off the rifle she’d been carrying as well as the holstered pistol she wore, taking a black case from one of the boys.

“What… **exactly **did you bring back?” Dean asked.

“Dinner.” She set down the box and opened it revealing several knives and a hand-held saw, looking up and seeing the surprise on their faces. She chuckled, “Elk, guys. Did you think I was out there taking on monsters like you two?”

Sam looked sheepish, “We forget sometimes there’s more then one kind of hunting, at least I do.”

“My family was mostly archery hunters and while I can pull a bow I always preferred to hunt with a rifle but right now I just need to help getting this big bastard on the hooks to hang. I’ll deal with the hide later.”

She had to talk them through part of the skinning since they hadn’t done it before but it went fast and they caught on quickly.

“Thanks guys, I’m going to go clean up. See you for dinner.”

Dean followed her out and caught up with her before she reached the end of the hall, “I’m sorry I was an ass before.”

She laid her hand over his, “Forgiven even as you grumped at me.”

“That easily, huh. Why?”

She bit her lip and chewed on it, “Because I don’t hold onto grudges, even if you _did_ wrong me; besides being a pain when you’re hurting and sick is something _everyone_ is allowed.” She started to pull away then sighed softly and looked back up at him, “I’ll come find you once I’ve showered off the blood. There have been some changes around here that you should probably know about... even if you don’t stay.”

“Well, **that** sounds ominous and terrifying.”

She chuckled and shrugged, “I’ll let you decide if it’s actually scary.”


	11. Family

As promised Jenn didn’t take very long showering and found Dean alone in the library, she smiled watching him half asleep sprawled out in a chair. He looked so peaceful she didn’t want to disturb him but she was an honest person and the idea of keeping secrets didn’t sit right. Nervously she tucked her damp hair behind an ear then shook it loose.

“Stop staring, I can’t sleep if you do that.”

She jumped when he spoke but smiled just a little, going into the room the rest of the way. “I didn’t want to disturb you if you were sleeping.”

He opened his green eyes and looked over at her, “Come on have a seat and tell me what you think I should know.”

She made her way over and sat on the edge of the small ottoman not quite sure how to begin.

“Jennifer?”

“Your friend is here.” She blurted out.

“My who?” He frowned having no idea who she was talking about.

“Castiel, the angel. He showed a few months after you guys left and he just kind of stayed around… most of the time.”

“_Sonofabitch_. So that’s where he disappeared to.”

So much for thinking he’d sent his friend to watch over her, she thought. “He’s been very helpful and we were able to make the refuge bigger without disturbing anything. He also put up some kind of protection something on this area and it’s been nice, no packs have been around for just over a year.”

“Yeah, we haven’t seen too many while we were hunting. Seems to be less and less monsters too.”

Sam had told her the same thing but he’d seemed relieved where Dean just seemed to be tired. She kept rubbing her fingers back and forth between her thighs to try and relieve the nervous anxiety that was building. She had no idea how to tell him without simply dropping it in his lap… so to speak.

“Dean I… there’s something else. I uh… I have absolutely no idea how to say this.”

“Just spit it out.”

She sighed again, “I had… uh… while you were gone, after you and Sam left… I got sick, nothing life threatening but it kept me down for a few months. I think it’s why Cas showed up originally.” She fidgeted in her seat then got up to pace a little, “I wasn’t just sick… I was… I was… pregnant.” She almost whispered the last then hurried through the rest. “Twin boys as it turned out. They’re two now, I guess we know it **is** possible on a first heat.”

Dean stood up abruptly causing her to falter, stopping her pacing and speaking but he barely noticed. His blood was roaring in his ears, kids. She’d had his kids even though he’d marked and left her. He hadn’t thought it was possible, in fact he’d convinced himself that it was virtually impossible. “I gotta…” He took two steps then headed out, going outside to got some air.

Jennifer watched him go and sat down quietly, she’s imagined telling him all sorts of ways but she’d never quite known how he’d react if he ever came back and found out. “At least I got to be the one that told him.”

“He will adjust and be back. Dean doesn’t take surprises well.”

“Thank you Cas… would you keep an eye on him? I don’t want him to get lost if he wanders away from the buildings too far.”

“Of course.” There was the faint sound of flapping and she knew he’d gone off.

\------

Dean wasn’t aware of where he was walking, just heading away while his mind ran. Kids. She’d had his kids while he was gone and she’d been alone. He felt like shit but he still knew, deep down he would have left even if he’d thought it was a sure bet. What choice would he have had, it wasn’t like he could just take her with them, that would have been even more dangerous.

He just kept on walking, alone with his thoughts till he stopped where he was and sank down onto a stump, finally looking around. “Why are you following me?”

“Jennifer… she was concerned that you might get… turned around out here.” Cas stepped out but just stood there, his arms loose at his sides.

Dean let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh but he didn’t get up, just sat there listening to the sounds of the few birds that were around as things settled in for the night. “**This** is where you kept disappearing to.”

“Yes.”

“I get it; you knew she’d need you.”

Cas looked at him with a quizzical expression then shook his head, “No Dean, I came because Sam asked me to, but then I came back because I felt the children she carried and I needed to be sure that they, and she, would be alright.”

“Wait, **Sam** asked you?”

“Yes, when he knew you wouldn’t be returning to… here. He wanted her safe.”

“Figures.”

“He felt he could watch over you sufficiently.”

“Yeah, I’ll just bet he did.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and jaw, “How do I face her Cas? How do I go back after I walked out?”

“Humans… I have found that they have a large capacity to love… and forgiveness. You did what you thought would be best for her life. And you gave her pleasant orgasms.”

“Dude!” Dean shook his head as he got back to his feet; nothing was ever that simple or easy in life. “We better get back; being outside during dark wasn’t ever good before. I doubt that things have changed much even with the world ending like this.”

“You are correct; it is dangerous even here once the sun goes down.”

Dean started to head back when Cas stopped him.

“Dean, it’s-“

“Yeah, other way.” He turned around and headed down the hill he didn’t remember climbing up. It was a silent hour before both men reached the door and went inside, Cas continued on, pausing to look back at his friend once. Dean sighed and unglued his feet to follow, not that he’d loose his way now that he was inside, even here he was breathing in her scent.

Dean stopped outside a door when he heard singing, he didn’t know the song but he’d guess it was for the girls. He reached for the handle but hesitated turning it.

The song stilled and Jennifer’s voice reached him through the door, “Its unlocked Dean, you can come in.”

She watched the door open and let out a silent breath when he appeared; she smiled then turned back to the little boys in her lap and hummed softly.

Dean stood there awkwardly as he watched her cuddle and rock the two little boys she held, he cleared his throat but didn’t move any closer. Not yet. “What uh… what did you name them?”

“Robert Jonathon and Paul LeRoy. Cas said you wouldn’t mind if I named one after my father.” She looked up at him again, “Come here, you should meet your sons though they are finally asleep and if you have any mercy in your soul you’ll not wake them.”

He moved forward though he didn’t realize it and sat beside her, looking in awe at the two boys. One was blonde and the other had dark hair. He reached out a hand and gently touched their heads and bodies. “They’re incredible.”

“They’re exhausting little monsters who are determined to send me to the loony bin but I love them.” She chuckled then held her breath when Paul stirred a bit.

“Can I… help?” He didn’t expect her to turn and immediately set one in his arms. “Whoa, wait wait…”

“Just relax, hold him against your chest but keep an arm under his body, like this.” She demonstrated and stood up slowly. “I’m hoping for a full night’s sleep so please, boys to bed.” She hummed softly till she was at the low bed and leaned down to set the sleeping boy down on the bed. “Just lay him beside Rob; they fuss if they don’t touch when sleeping.”

Carefully, almost as if he’d break the toddler if he moved wrong, Dean laid his son down on the bed and stood back. “Can we talk?”

Jenn sighed softly but nodded, “Of course,” she doused the light and partially shut the door behind them and led him into the adjoining room where she’d moved her room to once she’d had the twins. She gestured to another door that was partially open. “The girls’ room is in there, this one is my… uh, where I sleep.” She lit a couple of candles and turned to face him nervously.

Dean barely saw the other doors and didn’t realize it was a different room then when he’d been here last. He looked around then did a double take at the weapons mounted on the wall beside the door.

She shrugged, “We all of us protect those we love in our own way. The boys can’t reach them. The girls know better.”

“No I wasn’t… I’m kind of impressed. I wouldn’t have pegged you as a fighter. Or a hunter.”

“Needs must when the devil drives.” She shrugged again, “This is my life now, for better or worse and I choose to make the most of what I can. I grew up around hunting… killing I had to learn to do it.”

“Jenn, I’m so sorry-“  


“Don’t.” She shook her head and was at his side, laying her hand on his arm. “You did what you thought best and there was no way you could have known. I asked Cas not to tell either of you though I never expected him to just stay around.”

“He’s protective of you… he likes you.”

“He’s the nicest angel I know…. Of course he’s the only angel I know.” She smiled wryly.

“You aren’t missing much, the rest are mostly dicks.” He laid his hand over her small one and held it there. “I didn’t leave to hurt you. You have to know that, if nothing else.”

“You did what you thought was best, I know. I won’t say that it didn’t hurt when you left or that the past three years haven’t been painful ones but if the situations had been reversed…. If it was Sydney or Halley that was in danger because of me… even if it was just in my own mind…” She wiped at a tear that slid down her cheek but missed the other one. “It would have sucked my heart from my chest but I’d have left her if I was certain that was the best thing for her.”

He caught her tear with a finger and rubbed it between his finger and thumb before wiping away the rest. “I tried to not think about you, every damn day. I threatened to break Sam’s legs if he ever brought you up again.”

“And yet he brought you back here anyway.”

“Yeah, well… that’s a longer story for another time.”

Her stomach twisted a little and she bit her lower lip for a moment, “Why don’t we table any more talking… just for tonight. We both need rest.” Before she could rethink or chicken out she stood up onto her tip toes to kiss his jaw then his hand and turned to the bed, changing out of her clothes and into a nightshirt.

Dean froze when she kissed him and held himself completely still, it hadn’t felt like an invitation for sex, let alone sharing her bed but she hadn’t told him to leave or wished him a good night. “Jenn I...”

“Dean, please, it’s been a long day and I’m worn out. Either come to bed or go to bed but I’ve got to get some sleep.” She lifted the sheet and climbed under it, sighing in relief as she lay down on the bed.

He hesitated watching her close her eyes and look almost relaxed. He went around and blew out the candles putting the room in total darkness.

Jennifer listened then sighed, she couldn’t hear him which meant he’d probably left to find Sam and sleep there. She closed her eyes again then squeaked when the bed dipped and his hand landed hard on her leg.

“Sorry, I can’t see too well.”

“It’s… its okay.” She felt the bed dip a bit and felt him lying down, felt the heat of his body beside hers then his hand as it wrapped around hers.

“Goodnight Jenn.”

“Sleep well Dean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I ended up finishing this story way before I thought I would. Hopefully you all like it as well.


	12. A slice of pie

Morning found them cuddled up together; she was wrapped up in his arms and half sprawled against his chest as they slept. Her internal alarm woke her up first and she lay there letting her mind clear and process where she was. Last night was the best sleep she’d had in… well since he’d left; now she felt warm and protected. Almost cared for in a way. She knew Kayla would be by if she didn’t show up in the kitchen soon but she was loathe to leave the bed and Dean’s arms.

Unfortunately one of the twins chose that moment to begin crying for her. She groaned and tried to push herself out of Dean’s arms then laughed softly, “Dean… Dean let go.” She tried spreading his arms but she wasn’t as strong as he was. “Dean! Let go the boys are crying.”

“Wha?” He jerked back as his eyes opened. “Jenn?”

She chuckled and gave him another push, “Your holding me too tight. The boys....”

“Boys… Oh!” He looked down at her and let go so she could crawl over him and head out the door, lighting a candle as she did.

“Hey boys, you’re sounding off pretty early.” She reached in for them both but had to juggle a little, getting them to the changing table. “Come on guys, help Mom out and stay still.”

“Yeah guys, be nice.” Dean appeared behind her.

“Perfect timing,” She turned and dropped the dark haired twin in his arms so she could quickly change the other one.

“Whoa, whoa… I don’t know what…”

“Just hold onto the squirmer while I get Rob into his trainer pants then I’ll take Paul and you can have Rob. He doesn’t wiggle as much, he likes to cuddle.” She slid a romper on and had it snapped up. “Alright, trade.”

Dean set down the boy that had been trying to climb him and accepted the other blonde boy who sucked on his fist and stared up with bright green eyes. “So… this one is… Rob?”

“Rob… Robert Jonathon. Sam told me yesterday that you guys called Robert Singer Bobby.”

“What? Oh, no it’s okay. He can go by more then one name. Hell he might not want to be Bobby or Rob.” Holding the child… his son, in his arm and leaned back some to look at him, walking around the room as he did.

Jennifer turned and held Paul close till he settled down though it wouldn’t last long, she smiled watching Dean with Rob stare at each other. She didn’t really pay much attention to what he was saying; just that he looked like he was less weighed down. She ran her fingers through her hair and kissed the toddler in her arms. “Why don’t we go have breakfast guys? I’m sure Kayla already has some bacon cooked.”

“Hey I’m all for bacon.” He nodded to the still closed door. “What about Sydney and Halley?”

“You remember their names?” She looked back a little surprised.

He stared at her then nodded, “Yeah, of course. They’re your family.”

“Hmm, well she’ll likely be up in another hour or so, it will take an act of God to get the other one up so it’ll be pretty quiet right now.” She was part way out of the door, “And I saved you a piece of apple pie in case you wanted it this morning.”

“Bacon and pie. Awesome.”

Kayla looked up at the sound of her friend’s laughter and smiled to see her with Dean and the twins. “Oh good, I got the bacon ready and I just need a hand with the potatoes if you have an extra one.”

“Half a mo, just need to get this one in.” Jennifer sighed while Paul arched in her arms while she tried to put him in the high chair.

“Wow, he really doesn’t want to be put in there.”

“Yeah I know, it’s like this every morning. He doesn’t do it later just first thing. Come on you little monkey, please? I need to make your breakfast.”

“Quit acting like a baby and man up.”

Jenn watched as Paul quit squirming and looked up at Dean giving her enough time to buckle him in. “Thank you… but I’m going to have to learn how you did that.” She turned to go help Kayla and mix up some food mixed up for the twins.

“Hey, hey, hey… what do I do?”

Jenn set the small plate of pie on the table, “Eat your pie and just keep an eye on the boys till I can get their breakfast done.” She turned to mix something in a bowl. “And don’t give them pie.” She said, almost as an afterthought.

“I know that… I knew that.” He scoffed and forked a bite of pie into his mouth looking at the twin boys who were studying him. Well maybe not studying, Rob was chewing on his hand and Paul was arching his back and twisting around in his chair. “Dude, don’t be a little bitch.”

“Dean!”

He winced; he hadn’t known she was close enough to hear. “What, just offering some advice.”

She rolled her eyes and handed him a bowl of scrambled egg. “Yeah, yeah. Take the bowl and feed your son.”

She turned to spoon some of the eggs to Paul and missed the look that passed over Dean’s face as he stared at her then at the toddler, picking up the bowl she’d given him and awkwardly feeding it to the hungry child.

Kayla watched with a soft smile as she continued to make breakfast, she couldn’t wait to share her observations with Sam later. He’d mentioned that he was hoping Dean would want to stay now rather then keep on traveling. She’d never seen a bond grow but she was pretty sure it was what she was seeing now.

\-------

It was like this for the next few weeks, whoever got up first went to get the boys up and ready for breakfast. She still woke up wrapped up in his arms even though he wouldn’t’ touch her when they went to bed, he’d just lay there beside her. When everyone was up he was around helping or spending time around the twins. Sometimes Sam joined him but while Dean liked sharing time with Sam, he really liked it best when it was just him and his boys.

He was still getting use to even saying that in his head. Sons… he had sons. That wasn’t something he’d ever thought about. He wasn’t the dad type, hell he’d never even considered settling down other then the brief time with Lisa and Ben but that felt like another life and the way he felt with these two was… he had no words.

Dean finished checking the exits that he and Sam had helped work on to reinforce and checked the rooms before going into his. He checked on Sydney and Halley then the twins before going to the room he shared with Jenn. She was already asleep when he climbed into the bed and just sat there watching her sleep, she was unlike any other woman he’d ever known and definitely different from the few Omega’s he’d run into.

He laid down pulling her against his body and laid there in the dark listening to her breathe.

Jennifer had heard him come into the room, lately she was hyper aware of where he was at all times and a few nights ago she’d been awake when he’d come to bed. She didn’t say anything but was surprised when he held her and she’d ended up falling asleep to the sound of his heart beating.

Now she looked forward to this and was content to just lay with him like this, she wasn’t ready to sleep just yet. “Dean?” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

She closed her eyes but smiled wryly, “You knew I wasn’t asleep?”

“Tracing your fingers on my stomach was kind of a give away.”

“Sorry. Didn’t realize I was.”

He laid his hand over hers, “You don’t have to stop.”

She smiled and continued to listen to his heart beating, trailing her fingers over his abdomen. “Do you think you should bring your car to the underground storage?”

“There’s an underground storage here?”

“Yeah, I thought you’d already found everything here. I just figured that unless you and Sam were leaving soon… it would be better for the car to be protected.”

“Makes sense, except Sam and Chris already brought it up while I was sick and out.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize. Didn’t even think to ask Chris about it.” She stretched her fingers then curled them up into a fist. “So... how long do you think you guys will be staying?”

“I don’t know… do you want me to leave?”

“No!” She blushed and shook her head, “No… I just…” She sighed softly, “I just…”

“You want to know if I’m planning to cut and run.” His voice was flat.

She sighed softly, “No that’s not what I was going to say… I’m not very good at expressing myself some times.”

“So just say it, straight out.”

She hesitated then nodded, “Fine. I don’t want you to leave. I am desperately hoping that you’ll want to be here and not want to go. That this could feel like home for you and Sam and…” She swallowed feeling tears threaten as she bared what she’d wanted to since they came back.

He listened to her, absently playing with the ends of her hair and tracing the faint mark on her neck. “And?” He looked down at where he felt her head then frowned, touching her cheeks. “Wait, are you crying?”

“No… well yeah but not the way you think.” She sat up, feeling the bed dip a little beside her as he sat up as well.

Dean leaned over and lit one of the candles and reached out to wipe the tears with his thumb, “Listen to me, I am not going anywhere. I know I left before but I’m not going anywhere. I was a dick three years ago. I shouldn’t have left. And I am so sorry that I left you like that. Left the boys.”

She reached out putting her fingers on his mouth as she shook her head, “You had no way of knowing that I’d end up pregnant and yes, I was angry that you just left me behind but I did come to terms that you made the choice because you thought it was the safest way to protect me and I… it took me a while but I got it.”

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, “Would you stop being so understanding? Get mad at me! I can take it.”

She smiled but it wobbled, “I told you, I’m not mad anymore… I don’t hold onto mad often… I just want-“

“What? What is it that you want?”

“To be a family.” She whispered.

He pulled her into his lap and held her feeling like the biggest douche; he knew how important family was to him so it made sense that it would be important to her too. “Baby I’m sorry but I want you to listen to me okay? Really listen to me, Sam and I, we aren’t leaving. I’m staying with you, the boys, your nieces. We already are a family. Us and Sam.”

She turned, cupping his face between her hands and kissing him as she straddled his lap. “I don’t know if I love you but you make me happy and feel safe, the boys adore you. The girls will warm up too. I’ve just been so afraid to ask because I didn’t want to think about you leaving and if I didn’t bring it up I could pretend and not deal with it just yet.”

“And here I didn’t think you were scared of anything.” He chuckled and kissed her before she could answer. Her mouth was hot under his and he poured what he was feeling into it. “Damn, I’ve wanted to do that since I woke up back here.”

“Guess you think too much too.” She laughed softly, pulling her shirt over her head before kissing him again. “I’ve been dying to touch you.”

“Consider me your own personal playground.” He fisted a hand in his shirt and tossed it across the room.

She laughed softly, peeling her nightshirt off to toss aside as she straddled his lap. “I always did enjoy going _up and down_ on the teeter totter.”


	13. Winchester realizations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Dean both make unexpected discoveries

Sam wandered into the library, he hadn’t seen much of Dean the past few days and that was alright with him, though he had gotten to spend some time with his new nephews and he already loved them a ton. He hadn’t asked Dean about leaving but this time he knew he’d put up more of a fight, there wasn’t anything really left for them out there and this was as close to home as they’d found since everything had gone to crap.

He pulled an old classic from the shelves and went to go sit down, stopping when he saw he wasn’t the only one there. “Hey, Sydney right?”

Syd looked up from the book she’d been sort of reading and smiled distractedly, “Yeah.”

“Mind if I sit here and read too?”

“Yeah, that’s okay.”

“Reading a good book?” He asked as he sat down in a large overstuffed chair.

She shrugged, “It’s okay I guess. Aunt Jenn says I have to read it and I had a break.” She held it up so he could see the cover.

“Does your Aunt make you read lots of books?” He asked, more curious about this then the book he’d grabbed.

Again, she shrugged. “Sometimes, like when she gets back and found some books she sometimes makes me read some of them. Halley has to read them too. She says it’ll grow our minds and character.”

“You love your Aunt very much, don’t you?” It wasn’t really a question, he had seen it when they’d been here the first time and he could see it now too.

“The rest of our family’s all gone.”

Sam set his book down and smiled, “You know… someone once told me that family didn’t end in blood and it didn’t start there either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family is there through the good, the bad – all of it. They got your back even when it hurts.”

“I guess.” She was looking at him more curiously now though. “Is your brother going to marry my Aunt?”

“I don’t know about that but I’m hoping that he’ll want to stay now that we’re back. And even if they don’t marry, Dean and me, we’ll be your family too.”

“Really?” She looked intrigued by that but didn’t say anything else for a few minutes, “Did the rest of your family all die too?”

Sam leaned forward in his chair and steepled his fingers a little, “A lot of our family died but it was a long time ago, before people started getting sick. My mom died when I was a baby and my Dad died when I was barely an adult. So for a long time it’s just been me and my brother.”

Sydney nodded and wiped at her eyes with a fist, “My Dad and Mom both got really sick. Aunt Jenn tried to take care of everyone.”

“She was taking care of you guys?”

“Kinda, she came in Papa’s truck and took us all to Papa’s house where my Dad and brothers were already. She couldn’t find my big brother or his family and she said my sissy was already too sick and gone.”

“Did you get sick too?”

Syd shook her head, “No, not really. I felt a little bad and she put me in her room while she took care of everyone trying to get them better. I was okay after a few days.”

Sam kept asking questions and was getting a pretty desperate and bleak picture in his mind of just how it had happened for this small family. Everyone had gotten sick so fast and many survivors had simply panicked and fled, though clearly not everyone. He wondered if Dean knew just how fierce his Omega was when it came to the people she loved. “So when she buried everyone, then what happened?”

“We kept going out trying to find people we knew to see if they were sick or not. Sometimes we found people but she wouldn’t let me into the houses always, sometimes I had to stay in the truck and wait for her to come back out. Sometimes she came out with boxes and we’d go back to Papa’s house. Then one day she packed us up while I was sleeping and in the morning, we left for here.”

“Have you guys been back?”

Syd shook her head, “No, I haven’t left here ever and Aunt Jenn isn’t gone long enough to go all the way back home.”

Sam knelt by where the gangly teenager sat, “Is it okay if I hug you?" He gave her a crooked smile when she stiffened. "I think I need one for myself.”

She hesitated then nodded, wrapping her thin arms around him then squeezing hard as she cried into his shoulder quietly.

Sam just held her, moving to sit in a chair while he hugged her tight and let her cry out some of the hurt. He saw movement at the doorway and Kayla stood there with a sad look but she just backed up out of sight leaving the two alone in the library.

\----------

_Sydney looked up as soon as someone knocked on the front door, she heard aunt Jenn’s voice. She ran over to open the door and flew into her arms._

_“Thank god.” Jenn held her tight._

_“Mom’s really sick.”_

_“I know baby, I know. I’m here to get you both and take you with me.”_

_“Daddy isn’t answering his phone.” Tears streaked down her face._

_“It’s okay, I already got them. Get a bag with clothes together for you and we’ll come back for things later once people are better. Hurry now.”_

_Sydney nodded running back to her room to stuff clothes into a bag. She grabbed her dog and saw her mom being loaded into a car. She hurried getting into the car too. They went right to Grandma and Papa’s house; she opened the door so Aunt Jenn could get her mom inside and laid her on the couch._

_“Syd you’re staying in my room for now, go put your stuff there Halley is already up there; put your dog in the garage for now then come back down here and we’ll make some soup for everyone and then you’re going to bed too.”_

_“Okay.” She said softly._

_They worked all the time for the next few weeks but neither of the girls were allowed in any of the bedrooms or outside. Aunt Jenn let her into one of the bedrooms where her Dad and brother were laying down but she couldn’t stay long there or visiting any one. Her Aunt wasn’t taking chances with healthy and sick. So far only a couple of people were healthy and it was hard taking care of everyone._

_Her Aunt did most of the work but Sydney and Halley helped every way they could until one night when their Aunt came into the room they shared and sat down quietly. “Aunt Jenn?”_

_She reached out for her nieces and just held her for a while before clearing her throat. “Grandma’s gone… and so is your uncle.”_

_They held each other while the girls processed and cried. Unfortunately for them this happened several more times as the rest of their family that Jennifer had been able to find died. She buried them all in the back yard since going any further was too hard for her to get to the family cemetery._

_They went back to both her Mom and Dad’s houses to pack some things up before taking in any other survivors they found along the way. They checked on every friend they both knew to see who was left._

_It was a dark few months until finally Jennifer packed them up and they left for the refuge._

_Sydney and Halley whispered about it at night sometimes, neither one really wanted to go back after all of the sad that was there._

\-----------

“So you’ve been on your own with just your nieces since this whole crap-tastic mess fell on you?” Dean lay in the bed holding her and just enjoyed being there together. He wanted, _needed_ to know more about here and he knew that someone had come by and was watching the twins; part of him was bothered by that but not enough that he felt the need to go out and make sure of who had them or where they were. Hell even Jenn hadn’t mentioned them yet so he figured she had some kind of mommy radar.

“Yeah… since people started getting sick. They were the only family I could find still healthy. I buried all those I _could_ find but about half of my family has been uncounted for since everything happened.”

“You looked for them.” They both knew he wasn’t asking.

“Once phone lines were down I was left to tracking old school but when I had Halley, then Sydney… I was limited to how long I could be gone.”  


“You know you did everything you could do.”

“It doesn’t feel like some days. I couldn’t save anyone that was sick. I tried everything I knew but it was like…”

“Like they were being sucked dry from the inside.”

She rolled onto her side to look at him, “Yes, exactly like that. What was it? What happened?”

“Honestly, as far as the sickness I don’t know. Sam and me, we checked everything we could find, every book, every lore… hell even reached for things that we knew wouldn’t help but we kept on trying.”

“And as far as the rest?” She looked puzzled.

“The rest?”

“Yeah, you said as far as the sickness… which implies you have a response about some of the rest.” When he just stared at her, she blushed and smiled, “Sorry, I enjoy stories and I read into words. Old habit.”

He pulled her back tight against his chest and ran his fingers through her hair; he had no friggin idea how to answer her. How could he tell her that he and Sam were partly to blame for what happened to the world, not the sicknesses or people changing and dying but what everyone thought was meteors had been the angles falling and the wars that it had started with the angles… and even when all of that had been stopped something had been triggered and everything had gone to shit. Something he and Sam had done had made too big of a ripple and there had never been any word from God or anything else to help the humans left to survive if they could.

“Dean, squeezing too hard.”

“Sorry.” He ran his hand down her arm, “I meant to ask before… where did you get these scars? I don’t remember them from before.”

She lay there with him and slipped her hand into his before kissing him softly. “Just some scratches. I probably should get up and go check on the kids and see if there’s anything I can get done before dinner.”

“Can’t we just stay here?” He rolled over pulling her under him, nuzzling her neck till she was laughing.

“Dean… as much as I want to…”

“Yeah, yeah.” He kissed her again then rolled off, heading for the bathroom.

Jennifer watched him go with a silly smile but took advantage of him being out of her sight. She slipped on comfortable clothes and headed out knowing Kayla probably had the boys. There was no way she was going to talk about the marks she had now. As horrible as burying her family had been, these…. These were so much worse.

Kayla had Rob on her hip as she sorted through some lists; she smiled wider when she saw her friend. “Have a nice couple days?” She laughed when Jenn blushed red, “I think it’s cute and after all the heats you suffered through you deserve to have him make you feel better.”

“Kayla!” Jenn laughed and scooped Paul up, kissing his cheeks as he squirmed and babbled at her. “What are you working on?”

“Just sorting through your lists of what we’ll need to feed everyone till next spring.”

That succeeded in wiping some of the smile from Jenn’s face, having Dean show up had thrown her completely off stride. “Yeah, I know it’s a little bleak so far. I have some ideas but we just never had enough people to make any of them work.”

“Enough adults that can fight you mean.”

“Well yes that’s part of it but It’ll take me some time to teach everyone that might be going what to look for and the exacts of what we need. You know as well as I do not everyone here is any good at gathering.”

“I know but we’ve practically stripped everything for 50 miles from here in every direction.”

“More like 80 miles.” Jennifer rubbed her forehead, “We all know **I** can’t go alone.”

“Go alone where?”

“Sam.” Kayla’s smile lit up and Jennifer abstained from teasing her friend, at least for now.

“Hey Sam, we were just going over inventories and trying to come up with some answers.”

“Answers about what?” Dean took Paul from Jennifer’s arms and gave them both a quick kiss.

“The kids are growing out of their clothes and we don’t have enough to replace them, we’re low on some supplies and we can’t just keep hoping to find wal-marts and stores with what we need. We have to go further out which is going to take more time that we don’t have.”

“What we need are the tools to make our own things.”

“I know and you know that we can’t take that kind of risk.”

“Why is it so risky?” Sam asked.

Kayla frowned a little, “Because it’s in alpha territory and the last time we tried… it didn’t end well.”

“So Sam and I’ll go in and get what you need and be back in two shakes.”

Jennifer smiled wryly, “Sure, as soon as you tell me what seersucker is and where you’d find drive bands.”

“Uh… sure. Seersucker is… a fruit and drive bands are at the auto store.”

Jennifer winked at Kayla as she gave Dean’s hand a squeeze, “I told you he was adorable.”

“So we don’t know what some of these things are, we take someone with us that does.”

“That’s the issue,” Kayla said regretfully, “the only person that knows everything on that list and where to get it is…”

“Don’t tell me.” Dean sighed.

“Jennifer.” A voice sounded behind them as Chris walked into the office. “I know some of it but Jennifer is the only person here that knows how to sew or make yarn and what we need to keep on surviving off the grid. Completely off the grid and sustained by ourselves. This pioneer life ain’t no joke.”

“Is there anything you don’t know how to do?” Dean asked her.

She smiled but it was a tired kind of smile, “Yeah, how to stay out of trouble.”

“So, like we said, we’ll go all together and get what you guys all need so no one has to keep making all of these runs.”

“I’ll take a month, at least if we were going to get everything.” Jennifer looked at the older grey haired man, “I’m trying to teach others here but without the equipment and tools we need its pointless.”

“So… where do we need to go?”

Chris pulled out a map that had been marked up. “All over the Willamette valley and north into what use to be Washington state, there are several different places to get what is needed to start and when you leave the cities Jennifer knows where she’s most likely to find the rest of the tools. It also brings up another point though; do we try farming in truth and defend this place with more then just hiding?”

Jennifer bowed her head then nodded, “Chris…” She rubbed her hands over her face, tired of this argument. “Alright, you win. We’ll talk to everyone and lay it out to see what we can all agree on.”

“It’s the right thing to do, you’ll see.” Chris laid a hand on her shoulder then left the room.

Jennifer sighed and sat in a chair putting her head in both hands.

Sam looked at Kayla who looked sympathetic but she didn’t say anything to enlighten the guys as to why this was apparently a big deal.

Dean stood behind her then crouched beside her, “What is it?”

“I never wanted to put a gun in any of their hands.” She hedged, avoiding what had her stomach in a knot.

“Darlin, there’s other ways to defend yourselves.”

“I don’t know how else to do it and no one else here is a fighter. Not even close.”

“What if we teach them?” Sam asked.

Jennifer looked up when Sam spoke then at Dean who nodded, “Yeah, we’ve learned lots of ways that don’t have to put guns in their hands but it is something that everyone here should learn in case they ever need to.”

“I think that’s a great idea.” Kayla said. “Everyone can learn from someone new and we can tackle what we will do instead of what we might do one day.”

Jennifer didn’t look cheered up so Dean made a guess, “I promise, we’ll keep the girls out of this as much as possible.”

“It’s not just them, no one here has ever had to kill anything except for maybe a deer. We hide here to keep anyone from finding us so no one has to fight. Or kill. I didn’t want anyone to have to make that kind of a choice.”

\---------

Dean went outside; it wasn’t hard to find his Omega leaning against the fence railing watching the animals they had just being lazy in the sunshine. The meeting had happened a few nights before but she still hadn’t had much to say even now. He couldn’t say how he knew but she was just going through the motions of being happy and doing her work. It just wasn’t the same.

He’d talked to Sam but he hadn’t heard anything and if Kayla or the others knew, they weren’t talking about it. Though Kayla’d had all kinds of bits and pieces she knew from her observations and a few off handed things that Jennifer had said. Adding that up with what they’d learned it painted a pretty bleak picture.

Now he wanted to finish the puzzle a little more and the only way to get it was from the source but now that he was here he wasn’t quite sure how to ask her. He joined her at the fence and watched one sheep wander over to where the goats were and continue to eat.

“You know… I don’t even know if we can find all the stuff, the right types of equipment… Sure I know where they were but that doesn’t mean I can find them.” She looked at him then, her face a little pale, “What if I can’t find any of it? What if we go on this great big run and I can’t find any of what we need?”

“Hey, hey.” He laid an arm over her shoulders, “We’ll find it, all of it. Everything that everyone needs to have a good life here. You, me, Sam, the boys-“

“No, as badly as I want the children all with us… I’m sorry but this is where I draw a line. They are not going with us. Not this trip.”

“Hey, look at me.” Dean turned her and cupped her cheeks till she was looking at him. “We will find everything, get it back here and none of us will get hurt. It’ll be a regular family outing.”

Her eyes were hard but she didn’t say anything more about the kids, though he could see she had more to say about it. “Do you really think we can all do this?”

“I _know_ we can.”

“And what _if_ we get found by a pack and have to kill people?” she whispered.

So that was it, Dean wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Her hands, even through his shirt were ice cold and she was trembling just a bit. He rubbed her back and rested his chin on top of her head, “I don’t know what we’ll find when we go out there but you won’t be alone and we’ll face it, all of us, together.”

She didn’t respond, just held onto him until she was finally a little calmer.

“Sam’s loading up the truck and we have someone to drive Big Mama till we get wherever it is that you need us to go. Chris said that this would probably take us longer then we expect and that he has everything under control here. I don’t want you worrying about what it is that’s out there, your job is to tell us where to go and what you need.” He kissed her forehead then gripped her shoulders, “But mostly, just hold onto me as much as you need to and know that I’ll be here for you.”


	14. Returning Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team that goes off to to gather up all they need has to make a hard stop first. All of them knowing that they would be going through Alpha territory. Dangerous for all of them, especially if they don't finish before an Omega heats starts.

It took a little doing but finally everyone was loaded. Dean and Sam both had tried to argue for bring the kids but Jenn fought them every step till they finally gave up. Kayla had offered to go along to take turns driving the big rig that they had but in the end one of the men stepped up who had driven trucks like this before. Kayla would stay and take over watching all of the children.

The first hour getting out of the mountains was harrowing, then they were on the highways and it went faster. Jennifer didn’t say much, just to head north and west until she saw the interstate where they just went north. It took all the rest of the day with the roads torn up and vehicles scattered everywhere. It was close to sunset when she pointed at an exit for them to take.

When they reached a small town she headed them to the edges till they pulled up in front of a row of what clearly had once been some very nice houses. “Just park here, we’ll siphon tomorrow.” She got out and looked up at the faded brown house, “We’ll stay here for now.”

Dean and Jennifer went through the large wooden side gate and a few minutes later she was opening the front door and gesturing everyone inside. “Dean’s finishing checking the rest of the house upstairs but the dust wasn’t disturbed anywhere so she was confident that no one had bothered the house.

She headed upstairs, leaving the door open and wandered slowly down the hallway.

Sam looked at his brother who just shrugged but was looking around at the house before spotting a picture and tapping it, “Sam.”

Sam looked; it was Sydney but years ago along with several other kids from an infant to a teen. “This was her parent’s house.”

Dean found a few other photos then shook his head, “Not just _theirs_… Jennifer lived her too.”

“How do you know?”

Dean held up a tea tin and shook it, “She told me she was a tea snob before the world went to crap and this looks like snobby tea to me Dude.”

“Actually it’s _not_ but it is close.” She came down the last two steps, trying for a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She looked around, clenching her jaw as she saw everyone again. “I can make you guys food if you’re hungry or else just give you guys a room and call it good till morning.”

“I could eat but I can find my own food.” Sam offered first.

She snorted shaking her head and already heading for the garage. “Good luck with _that_, I’ll get something made up though it won’t be much probably. Rice and beans, hopefully. At least for tonight.”

“Let me help you with that.”

Jenn paused in the doorway and did smile this time, “Sure, that’d be nice.

They headed into the garage sorting through what was there, taking everything that was no good and dropping it into the trash can. She wanted to open the freezers and fridges but she didn’t want to take that chance till they were going to leave because if she was right it was going to stink to high heaven. Dean found a jar of peanut butter that still looked okay, no bread but he figured they could make something work. Jenn grabbed a jar of peaches and one of the rice containers before heading back to the kitchen.

She was grateful for the gas still working and boiled the rice while trying to figure out the rest. Her family preserved food, always had but the staples like flour, bread as well as anything boxed wouldn’t do them any good now. They’d be completely back to square one figuring out how to make everything. Why she hadn’t thought of that she didn’t know but it drastically changed part of the list.

Once they’d all eaten something she led them upstairs, “Pick a room upstairs, just _not_ the first on the right. Bathroom is the third door on the left. Water works okay but not great.”

She gestured to the left side double doors and went in leaving the guys to figure out the rest on their own. She hadn’t thought far enough ahead to think about staying in her old room. She shook out the blankets and remade the bed without the tons of dust.

Part of her wanted to clean the house and make it right again but she also didn’t want to draw any attention to the house or family. Using the gas and water was enough of a signal if anyone was still monitoring anything.

“Jenn?” Dean stepped into the room, shutting the door only part way. He knew that this couldn’t be easy on her being here again where her family had all died and he didn’t know how to help her or what to say. He hated feeling awkward and even a little helpless so he did the only thing he knew, he hugged her.

She went easily into his arms and leaned against him. “I never thought I’d be back _here_ again, not ever… I didn’t think it… would be so hard.”

“I’d have been surprised if it hadn’t been hard but you aren’t doing this alone, I’m right here with you.”

She looked up at him and smiled tiredly, “You know, for someone that didn’t want to be tied down with an Omega you sure fit into the family thing easily.”

“What can I say; I adapt fast when I want to and being with you… the boys. Family is important to me and I know it was a dick move leaving you like I did but you need to know, I am not going anywhere again. Not without our family. You, me, the boys, Syd, Halley… and Sam.”

She chuckled, “Nice of you to remember your brother.” She reached up to cup his jaw then stepped back, stripping out of her clothes. “But now it’s time for bed, we’re going to be busy if we want to get everything and be back before my heat starts.”

“Your heat is due soon?”

“Five weeks, I’m regular like clockwork.”

He changed out of his clothes and followed her into bed, “So then maybe we should practice before then.”

Her laugh answered him as they curled up together, “We made the boys, I think we’re good on practice…. You know unless you feel like you’ve lost your talent for it.” She trailed off then laughed again when he growled against her neck.

“So we’ll try for being quiet tonight.”

\-----------

“**Why** are we going through this again?” Sam asked then raised a hand, shaking his head as he did. “Never mind, I know the answer. Your Omega said so.” He smirked at Dean.

“Shut up and grab another tote.” They’d been emptying a trailer and Jennifer had been going through things to sort, what they needed back at the refuge and some things they could use now while they traveled around. Like propane camping stoves.

She’d already boxed up all the food that they could salvage at the house and all of the canning supplies, Jennifer had said they were an old school family and the more stuff they dug through the more the guys realized she hadn’t been kidding.

Canning supplies, hard core camping gear, spinning wheels, weapons, sewing machines, knitting needles, hell even a freaking butter churn. Dean chuckled, “You know if things had to go to shit at least my Omega is kick ass at surviving.”

“Yeah, I mean I didn’t even **realize** people still did all of this.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Okay guys, I think we have everything.”

They shut up the truck, Dean frowned when he didn’t see Jenn.

“I think you better-“ Sam started.

“Yeah, I better…” Dean finished and set his box down to go find Jenn.

“I’m upstairs.” Her voice floated down to him.

He went up and checked two rooms before spotting her in the little alcove surrounded by photo albums that she was thumbing through. She smiled at him and he took her offered hand, sitting beside her. “What are you doing?”

“Remembering, I thought I could just box them up but then a photo fell out and… I just sat down with them and… well I kept remembering.” She chuckled, “I’ve almost finished packing up here… there’s lots I’d like to take with us but I know we can’t take everything.”

He looked pictures with her, “We’ll take whatever's important.” He looked at her hand and at the marks on her forearm, they were faded but there was clear lines. He’d noticed them on a lot of places on her body now that he thought about it. He’d started to bring them up a few times but she always dodged. “How did you get these scars?”

As he asked he felt her entire body go tight and rigid, without even looking at her he knew her jaw would be set and her eyes would have that hard look again. “They almost look like cut marks but you don’t seem the type, then or now, to cut yourself. Especially not at this angle."

She pulled out of his arms or tried too but he held onto her. Her hands were icy cold and clammy while her chest hurt and her stomach was tied up into a knot. “I don’t want to talk about that Dean.”

“Look, gods know that I suck at this but **something** happened.”

She broke out of his arms this time and shot across the hallway, her eyes flashed with a temper that he hadn’t known she had. She clenched her hands into fists then pointed one finger, her mouth opened then shut before she turned on her heel and stalked into one of the other rooms. “Not. Now.” She snapped.

He sighed, this talking shit was where Sam worked best but she was _his_ Omega damnit. He needed to know and clearly something had happened but he also knew he couldn’t force it out of her. She’d about took his head off for it. He stacked up the albums and grabbed all the others to take down to get packed up.

Sam saw him as he went outside, “What did she say about-“

“**Don’t**…. just don’t right now Sammy, let’s just get loaded up.”

Jenn stood in her parent’s closet while the anger and fear churning inside of her faded so she could push it back down and deal with it later. She’d known he’d want to know but that wasn’t something she wanted to think about, hell she didn’t even want to accept that it had happened. When she had a grip she opened the gun safe and began to unload everything inside. The sooner everything was loaded up maybe then she could just move on with everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few chapters to go. I hope your all enjoying reading this as much as I've enjoyed working on it.


	15. How did you get away?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean pushes and Jennifer remembers.

It had been two weeks and they hadn’t seen or scented anyone around anywhere. Hardware stores, outdoor stores, fabric stores, groceries, even pharmacy’s they went in and raided everything Jennifer said was needed. Everything was loaded up before they’d move on. Some of the equipment was bulky and a few were proving to be hard to find anywhere. Finally in one town they’d broken into every house and looked around quickly for a couple of things before in one Jenn shouted cheerfully that she’d found the looms she needed.

It happened twice more and the longer they went finding good supplies, the more cheerful Dean noticed his Omega was. He was relieved, the hanging black clouds had been a lot for him to watch her suffer with and after the last few times he wasn’t going to bring it up again.

“She’ll talk when _she’s_ ready.” Sam said quietly while they were loading up all the leftover ammo and guns from one shop. That there was any left was surprising. But gift horse and all that…

Someone had brought up guitars and they stopped to get several types of instruments that didn’t require a ton of room or electricity to run.

By the time the third week ended they were a good ways in Washington and nearly ready to head south again.

As they had traveled a few extra items had been remembered. Dean grinned to himself, books and auto shops. They’d been remembered after one of the tires on the truck blew and everyone agreed to make auto shops their next stop once the spare was on.

Dean kept an eye on the maps of how far north they were going, the past few days they had crossed over into Alpha territory again and he knew it was keeping them all on edge.

Once they went further south they’d be out again but only until they hit Portland. Most of the city was dead but one of the last stops was there and no one knew if they’d find what they needed anywhere else. If things went sideways Dean knew he should be able to call Cas to help. If it came to that.

They stopped just outside of Longview to make camp, it was woodsy enough and they were able to make up a camp. They’d gotten really lucky and found a tanker to hook up to for fuel for both trucks. They’d even found a couple of drums intact to fill and seal up. It wasn’t much but it would get them back home and hopefully this would be the last time this kind of a run had to be taken.

Neither Dean or Jenn had watch tonight so they put up a smaller tent after supper and slipped inside, staying curled up around each other.

Jennifer didn’t say much, the closer they got to the border the quieter she’d gotten. She knew the others, especially Dean, had picked up on it and it was only a matter of time before Dean or Sam broached the topic again. She knew she had to be fair and tell them, Dean at least. They were her family as much as the girls were but having to face it all over again. She closed her eyes, gripping his shirt just that much tighter.

“Sweetheart… baby you _know_ I don’t want to push but something is tearing you up and it’s killing me. _How_ do I help you?” He whispered.

“You _can’t_ help me.” She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed hard. “It… it was almost a year and a half ago. We, four of us went out. There had been a pack roaming around a few months before and we hunkered in tight, shutting away the animals, sealing up the refuge… no one went out except Chris. Since _he’s_ beta he doesn’t leave scent. After they were gone we waited another two months just to be sure but by then we had to make a short run.”

She turned over and stared up at the ceiling of the tent. She was grateful that Dean just listened, if he interrupted now she didn’t think she’d be able to get through this. “We decided to head southeast, we hadn’t gone that way in a year at least. It seemed to be clever and we’d be out and back no trouble. Everyone knew the rules and we sprayed myself and one other in the group to deaden our scent just like we did when I go hunting. I don’t _know_ what went wrong but we were in a small town when I scented Alphas. Everything happened so fast. The others were able to scatter…” She stroked her arm. “I wasn’t _fast_ enough.”

“They left you alone?” Dean rumbled, his anger spiking.

“We have a rule about scattering if we’re found while on a short run. We _all_ knew it was a risk having an Omega around but I’d been cooped up for so long I needed to be out. Just _one_ day. Out and back.” She closed her eyes as tears pricked her eyes, making her face flush as it came rushing back to her.

\---

“Well, well. What have we here?”

“A terrible cliché?” She snarked.

“I _like_ her sass.” One of the men laughed. “Carlos will be happy with this one.”

“Doubly so,” The one holding her by the ropes grinned, “She smells of **pups**, she can breed more.”

“My _mate_ will find me and he’ll rain fire down on you all.”

“Sure he will darling, trouble is…” He leaned in to scent her, “You may be marked but his scent is so faded on you I’d bet you haven’t seen him in a few years. So he’s either left you behind or is dead.”

Jennifer clenched her jaw against the tears that threatened and willed herself to relax. She needed to think. There were four of them and she’d never be able to outrun or out fight any of the, so she had to out think them and plan. The others would have seen her get taken and they would send two to take the news back while one would watch and wait in case she got away. Chris and the rest would find her if she didn’t get loose first. She just had to plan and stay calm.

They loaded her up into a dirty truck, though rather than throwing her into the back she was placed in the backseat alone. The ropes hurt where they looped around her arms, she’d never be able to get them off so she’d have to get them to take them off. No knives, she’d been searched for weapons after she’d used one of her throwing knives, sinking it deep into one guy’s shoulder.

Two hours they drove, no one talked to her the entire time and now chance of a rescue were getting slimmer with every mile. Her soul screamed as she thought briefly of her two sons, they were just babies. She’d barely had any time with them at all. Clenching her jaw tight, she kept back her tears and sounds of grief as she watched out the widow, biding her time.

Finally they headed west for a ways before stopping in a larger town she couldn’t remember the name of. She was pulled out unceremoniously, nearly falling on the ground before she was hauled up and taken to a large house. The big man that had sniffed her before pushed her into a room.

“You stay here till the boss comes.”

“I have to pee.”

“So use the bucket.” He shrugged.

“I _can’t_ with my arms tied.” She snapped.

He eyed her then grunted. Using her knife he cut the knot of the rope loose at her arms then left.

She scowled at the door, “Asshole.” It took her a few minutes to wriggle an arm loose and get the rope off her arm. The one at her knees would have to wait till she used the bucket. Once she was done she clawed at the knot till it was loose enough for her to work off.

Jennifer went to check out the window and frowned when she saw three men out the back. She hadn’t seen many people but there was an awful sinking in her stomach that told her she was in some serious trouble. She turned, ignoring the bed for now and paced around the room. She needed a way to get outside unseen to slip away. She’d seen the hills, they were only 10 miles away, she could make that in two hours if she went briskly. Then it would just be a matter of heading south before cutting east and getting back to her family. Hard but doable if she was clever.

Unfortunately no one came for almost a week. She’d been let outside once but under full guard and with all of the men leering at her. She stayed in her prison after that.

At least until Carlos showed up.

She heard the commotion and set herself, either it was an attack or the asshole in charge was back. She didn’t have to wait long to see. The big man, Dave, appeared in her doorway.

“Time to go Omega, the boss is ready to see you.

He took a little more care with her this time and was taken to the large room she’d seen her first day there. Now it was full of people, mostly men though a few women were about. It took her a few minute to realize that some of the women were on their knees with their heads bowed.

Jennifer’s lips curled back into a sneer at this and knew just what was going to be asked of her. Only she had no intention of obeying.

“So this is the Omega that lamed Jon. She doesn’t look like much.” A tall man with dark hair and a clean shaven face stood in the center of the room. His face was hard and his eyes, when she met them briefly, reminded her of a snake. Cold and patient, ready to strike and kill at any time.

“She’s got spirit but seems smart. Hasn’t fought or tried to run once.” Dave said.

“My friend, don’t mistake _docile_ for calm.” He stepped over, cupping her jaw and forcing her to look up and meet his gaze. He turned her face to expose her neck and inhaled. “Spirit, yes but those eyes…. This one will fight when she’s ready.” He looked sharply at the big man. “Keep her door locked and someone posted outside it. This one might be worth a lot now that she’s pupped not too long ago.”

Dave led her back to her room and all the while she kept her mouth shut tightly. The last chance she had for escape was shot to hell. She’d hoped for one more night where they might celebrate but if she had her own guard… she sat down on the bed and grabbed the pillow, finally succumbing to the fear that she might well and truly be screwed. She’d never see her children again.

\------

When she went quiet Dean finally found his voice. “How did you get away?”

Her smile was sad, “I fought the training and waited until I was able to kill my guard and made a run for it. I ran for days before throwing myself into the river and letting it wash me away downstream. I finally began to pray for help knowing I was probably going to drown.” She let out a sad laugh, “Cas showed up and pulled me out. He took me back and I haven’t left except to hunt since.” She shook her head, “I felt like an _idiot_ when he showed up after hearing my prayer. All that agony and I could have just prayed for him and been free the same time they took me.”

“Babe, you weren’t used to calling to him for help.”

“That’s just it.” She looked at him finally, “I’m so used to having to rely on myself and no one else that I’m too _broken_ to be able to remember should something happen to me again.”

His arms tightened around her at the thought of all she’d gone through. She hadn’t mentioned the scars but he could imagine and knew she’d tell him the rest when she was ready. “You’ll never go through anything like that again because I will be here. Even if I have to staple myself to your side.”

She huffed out a soft laugh and let him hold her. Tonight they both needed it.


	16. The nightmare behind my eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jennifer faces the nightmare of what she was forced into before her escape.  
Dean faces how hurt his Omega was without him around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please be warned, the last chapter was a little rough. This one is much, much worse.   
Possible triggering content. I made it as brief as I could and left out much detailing to spare us all.  
Non-con/rape, mental torture

“Okay, now I _know_ your lying.”

“I’m totally serious! Cross my heart.” Jennifer made an ‘X’ over her chest and grinned. “Every local will tell you the same thing.”

“Come on Jenn, we’ve seen Portlandia. This area was so granola there’s no way any of that is true.” Sam protested. He had no way of knowing since the only time he or Dean had even been in this area was on a case… though there was the Oregon Vortex so, maybe…

“I’m telling you the God’s honest truth. There are still probably places where we could find all the stuff people used or put up to keep the craze going but this whole region of the states, many of them were honest-to-God believers.”

Dean shook his head, “People bought into that? Seriously? Everyone knows that bigfoot is a myth.”

She chuckled, “Not around the Pacific Northwest. Around here it was tourist draw and a legend that lost of the old time families knew about.” She shrugged, “Not that many of us believed in anything like it. Though I did hear of a couple of guys that sold a “dead bigfoot body” on Ebay or something for a ton of money.”

“I know I’m going to seriously regret asking this-“

“A gorilla costume and tons of raw meat. No idea what kind but part of me hopes they put a turkey in the middle.” She laughed.

The brothers exchanged a look and Dean rolled his eyes. “Humans are weird.”

One of the other men looked up from where he was cleaning a rifle and shrugged, “Had a brother that _swore_ up one side and back down that he’d seen one. Twelve feet tall and howling like nothing he’d ever heart, came out at night and made a bunch of noise but by morning it was gone.”

“See!”

The arguments and banter kept on around the small fire that was going as those that were even semi-local told even crazier stories from before the fall while Sam and Dean protested most of it, coming up with their own legends to share.

“My Granny always said if you have to walk by a cornfield at dusk or night that you walk quick, never run and don’t look into the field. Can’t be lookin’ for no red eyes or you’ll vanish.”

“What? What did she say would get you? Ghouls? Vampires?”

He shrugged, “She never said, just warned us all to never look out into a cornfield at night.”

“I _heard_ of something like that before.” Jennifer chimed in, “not sure where I heard it though. Something about not looking in a back seat if you drive through a canyon at night. Or if you have chills to turn around and head out the way you went in but still not to look back or in your mirrors. Especially never in the backseat. It was creepy to hear people talk about it.”

“Yeah, imagine hunting all that shit when you find out it’s real.”

One of the others snorted, “And you say we’re the crazy ones. I still can’t believe that werewolves are actually real.”

“Them and a hell of a lot more.”

“Yeeeeaaaaah, not sure **I** want to know anymore then I do. Urban legends are plenty for me man.”

One of the group grabbed a shovel and began to break up the fire, shoveling dirt onto it to smother it so it didn’t leave a smoke signal. A few just moved to keep on talking a bit longer.

Jennifer started to get up, but Dean grabbed her wrist loosely in his hand and shook his head. He nodded to the trees and she nodded her assent. Sam followed them to just inside the tree line, close enough to see the others but far enough to keep it hard for anyone to overhear them.

“Me and Sam, we had a few questions that you might be the only one here that can answer them for us.”

“Al… alright. I’ll answer what I can.” She said, looking between them as her stomach began to cramp in apprehension. She wasn’t sure what it was they wanted to know but her instincts were screaming warnings at her.

“We cross the river again tomorrow and we’re headed to get all the books you want.”

“Yes?”

Dean took one of her hands in his, he hated having to put her on the spot but they needed to know. “We’ll be heading into Alpha’s territory. An Alpha that hasn’t seemed shy about marking things with some stupid symbol.”

She swallowed hard against her dry throat and nodded mutely, suddenly tense as she realized what they were asking. “Yes… there aren’t a lot of marked territories but… there is one that has a far reach.” She pulled on her hand wanting to wrap her arms around her middle but Dean refused to let go.

“Sweetheart, I know this is a shitty time but what can you tell us about them? Will we run into anyone in Portland? In the city? Outside it? Are they ambushers?”

“We wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t critically important.” Sam said quietly, he didn’t like this anymore than Dean did but he was hoping that it would open her up just a little more.

Jennifer closed her eyes, inhaling slow and shaky. She was quiet like that for several minutes before she began to speak, softly. “I honestly _don’t know_ where they might be. It’s a large territory he claims even if he may not be able to hold all of it at the same time. He likes guns, likes inflicting maximum suffering mentally then physically. Ambush is easier, less risk to himself. He likes his prey to be chained down to feel the most helpless and a little angry.” Her chin quivered a little, “He _likes_ _it_ when they fight back before they break.”

She ran her fingers lightly over the arm, over the scars there. “I saw him do things… to Omega’s… Betas… even a rival Alpha once. He gets off on the anguish he can cause, the sounds of their screams.” She shook her head to try and dispel the memory of those screams. “He also likes to watch, he never orders a strike unless he can be there to watch so he can claim all victory.”

“So he’s arrogant?” Sam asked.

She huffed out a bitter laugh, “Intensely arrogant. About 6’ or just over, he broad. Solid muscle from what I could tell, very strong _but_ he doesn’t move very quietly. Dark, dark eyes…. Like a snake, or a shark’s eyes. That cold unblinking stare.” She shuddered. “If he’s realized I’m here…” She looked up into Dean’s eyes, her own gathering tears, “I don’t know _what_ he’ll do.”

Dean pulled her in close and cradled her against his body; her distress was eating him up. He should have been here protecting her, keeping her safe and instead he’d run the other way.

She’d been targeted by a monster that needed to be put down as much as any that he’d hunted before.

“Does he _keep_ the Omega’s he finds?” Sam asked the only other thing he knew they might need to know.

She shook her head then nodded it, “Some. Others just… disappeared; I don’t know if they’re dead or sold. Omega’s are his favorite to punish.”

\---

The sounds of screaming had Jennifer jerking out of a sound sleep. The first sleep she’d had in over a week. There were dark bruises under her eyes, and she knew she looked a little sickly. Little food and less rest were hell on the appearance. She looked around trying to recall what had woken her up when she heard the scream again.

“Come here Omega.”

Whirling around in shock she stared at the monster that stood at the window in her room, facing outward. She hadn’t scented him or even sensed he was in the room with her. Panic made her shake but the tone of his voice turned her blood to ice. She rubbed at her arm where the marks had scabbed over from her last beating and reluctantly inched over towards him. She’d been learning just how costly outright defiance could be and her body cried from the last payment she’d had to make.

His large hand grabbed her by her neck and pulled her over roughly to the window. He pushed her in front of his body and caged her in, forcing her to witness whatever was going on outside.

It took her a few minutes to zero in on what was going on and when she did she almost vomited right where she was. Out on the ground was a woman… gods, barely even that. She barely looked legal and she was staked out on the ground. Jennifer could see that she’d been struggling with her bonds as there was blood on her wrists and up her legs some… of course there was more blood in several other places too so perhaps struggling didn’t hurt as much.

She whimpered as she realized fully what was going on in the very next heartbeat. This Omega had been staked out for all the men here to take turns raping her and they clearly weren’t required to take turns or give her any reprieve.

“Once they’re done with her she’ll be fit for use.” He whispered against her ear as he rocked against her ass letting her know just how hard and turned on he was by what he was watching. “The ones that won’t learn have to be broken so they’re fit to be ridden.”

Bile rose in her throat but she forced it back down, that this was her only warning was loud and clear. If she fought too hard, too long, too much… if she was more trouble than she was worth this would be her fate before she was sold to God only knew who. Or what.

Dave lumbered out of one of the buildings and he was already naked as he headed for the Omega making her scream and plead to be left alone.

“Please… _please_ don’t make me watch.” Jennifer whispered.

“You’ll watch in silence until I’m sure you’ve learned to behave yourself.” He pushed two fingers into her dry opening and began to pump them into her while Dave and two others took their time, clearly enjoying themselves.

_‘Dean! Please save me!’ _Jennifer cried out silently aching her for her Alpha in ways she never had before, knowing that she had to get away. If she could bring others with her then she would but she **had** to get away. Far, far away from here.

**\---**

"I _didn't_... I _couldn't_... save..." she sobbed against Dean's chest. She clutched tight to him while he did his best to comfort her. There had been only a few times in his life that he’d ever actually ‘seen red.’ This was beyond even those few times. This was hunger for blood, the blood of just one person. One monster. He wanted… needed to see him put down. Preferably in the most painful and debilitating way possible.

A sob pulled his focus back to the now and he continued to stroke her hair and hold her close. He had no idea what words would help or if words would ever help against what she’d gone through. What she’d been forced with witness before she got away. He thought of all the new scars he’d found on her body and filed it away for retribution later. If he could he’d even let her exact her own once this Carlos was neutralized and couldn’t strike back. Either way, this was one hunt that he knew Sammy would want in on and they could do with clear conscious.

Time became irrelevant as he let her cry out everything she needed. He might not have known what words might be needed but he could and would let her cry or talk or anything else she needed. He could be her support and anchor and would spend the rest of his life making sure that she never had to face anything alone.

Not ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it my friends, the only time we have to go through that horrible awful.


	17. One last city

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is only one last city and two more planned stops before they head home but they must cross through Alpha territory to reach their stops.

They all sat on a hill overlooking the city they had to enter for one of the last stops Jennifer said was going to be necessary. Unfortunately that put them into part of Carlos’ territory. Something she already felt sick about having to do. Part of her wanted to call it off but if they were going to have any chance for a better life, especially the kids, then they needed all those books for learning.

She sighed, leaning into Dean’s arms. There was no movement but no one expected any, at least not from here. Either the other Alpha knew they were there and was waiting or would soon know they had been through. It was the only major flaw in the plan with the semi. Everyone was holding onto the hope that once this run was over they could ditch the truck and not have to worry about this ever again.

“And you know where this place is?” Sam asked her gently.

“Yes, I know where it is and it will take all of us and most of the day to be able to get everything. It won’t look big but I promise you it’s huge.”

Dean knew how distressed his Omega was, her scent has turned just a little making it smell bitter and burnt. He kissed the side of her head, “I’ll be with you the whole time. We’ll work in groups of two and get it done. You said they had stuff for us to load boxes up on, we’ll just load up the carts, two groups will take them to the truck while the rest load up the next one.”

“Yeah.” She sighed, glancing at the others. “We all know this is Alpha territory, we’ll have to move cautious and don’t hesitate if something happens. We have people depending on us, their lives matter more then anyone that we might face.”

There was agreement as they all headed back to load up before driving into Portland using the few remaining bridges to get around.

The massive bookshop didn’t look like much but once they were inside even Sam was impressed.

“There are three levels, we’re parked by the door at the lowest level so we’ll start at the top and work our way down. Pack up everything on the list, topics and authors don’t matter, it’s content we need. History, literature, science, languages, maps… everything. Our kids will all have all the knowledge they need at their fingertips.”

“Don’t worry Jenn, we’ll get all of it. The learning, the exploring, even the fun.”

“Should we take the duplicates if there are any?”

“Take it all. The world’s not dying out with us.”

Everyone separated into pairs and headed up the stairs to start loading up boxes they had been hoarding. Everyone knew it probably wouldn’t be enough but they’d figure out something.

Jennifer paused by a glass door and smiled almost sadly.

“What’s this one?”

“This is the rare book room, we’ll start here. The others can pack up the rest of the floor.” She grinned then and grabbed at two pairs of cloth gloves, giving him one pair before putting her own on. “I never could touch these books before, too much money. I always thought knowledge should be free.”

It was slow, tedious, dusty work but everyone kept on through the hours, by the time they had finally combed through all of the first two levels everyone was tired but determined to finish. The lower level was children’s books from infants to teens, autobiographies, cookbooks and a few odds and ends that might get grabbed if it was interesting.

They’d broken out some jerky and bread for a short break before getting back to packing up and loading. Once they’d run out of boxes Dean had suggested that they use some of the furniture and trunks to load things into. It took away two people but it was working.

Jennifer looked around as she packed away some old favorites from her childhood. “I can’t believe we’re almost done. It feels… surreal.”

Dean looked over at her, “Like it’s too good to be true?” He smiled, “I told you sweetheart, everything was going to work out just fine.” He just hoped he wouldn’t regret those words later.

“Hey Jenn, we’re done over here and the last set is loaded up.” Sam said as he came in, wiping his hands to get rid of the dusty feeling.

She smiled, looking up at the taller man. “We’re almost done here. I figure we can be out of Portland enough that we can either go to the last stop and drive through the night or else.”

“We’ll make it out of Portland but why don’t we find a place to keep out of sight where the semi blends in and we’ll rest up. Tomorrow will be soon enough.”

She worried her lips but then nodded, “Alright. We’ll rest up tonight.”

Dean leaned over, nuzzling her ear making her huff out a laugh. “We’ll find some motel or something and get a private room with a useable mattress. I’ve been thinking about something for two days.”

She turned her head, kissing his lips softly. “Wonder if it’s the same stuff I’ve been dreaming about.”

\------------

In spite of how bad it could have gone they did actually manage to get the entire store picked clean even after checking over again. By sundown they had found a yard with dozens of semi’s so blending theirs with some others and it was close enough to the motel nearby that they could see it but be out of sight.

Dean pulled a laughing Jennifer behind him as they headed into a room, ignoring the teasing from the rest of the group. Sam just grinned as he watched them disappear into a room before he headed to his own.

Sam was glad for his brother; glad that he’d found an omega. Not only found his omega but had two sons and a building family with her. He seemed to be happy, genuinely happy in a way he hadn’t been with Lisa. The smile actually reached his eyes and now that they weren’t hunting all the time the weight seemed to lift just a little the longer he was with his omega.

He dropped his bag on the bed and dropped onto his back, staring up at the ceiling as he thought about how it had been a year ago. Hell just a few months ago they’d been driving hard hunting but now. He laughed to himself, Dean had called more stops the past month then he probably had in the past three years. Every time he called a break he was either with his sons or, like now, pulling Jennifer behind him while she either protested or laughed.

Soon they’d be out of danger and he was eager to be able to help make the refuge even better, make it bigger in ways so that no matter if they had others join them or they simply expanded as families grew.

Sam frowned as something occurred to him, there was only two other omega’s at the refuge and they were far too young. “Shit.” He sat up debating finding his brother then hesitated, there was nothing they could do right now and he didn’t want to interrupt what they were up to.

Shaking his head he stripped down, willing his body to sleep.

\----

In the dark of the room, Dean sat against what passed for a headboard and watched his omega sleep. **_His _**Omega. Part of him still doubted that this was going to work but the louder part was consumed with her.

Her scent.

Her smile.

The sound of her laughter.

The way she walked.

The sounds she made when he touched her.

He brushed some of the lose curls off of her face and rubbed them between his fingers. Her hair was so soft and, in spite of all the hard work he knew she did, so was her skin. Maybe not super smooth all the time but oddly he didn’t give a damn if she’d shaved her legs recently or not.

He’d spent hours running his hands over all of her body as well as his mouth, he thought with a grin. She tasted even better then she smelled.

She mumbled something in her sleep and shivered a little. Dean reached down off the bed to pull out a blanket they’d brought with them from their room and laid it over her. It smelled like them but also of the girls and their boys. It smelled like home.

Home.

He couldn’t believe how he was able to find peace, or something like it. Sure he still had nightmares and she was always right there, whispering comfort to him until he was fully awake and able to get back to sleep. She always seemed to know when something was wrong with him and gave comfort without saying anything. Sometimes she’d be working on something and look up with a heated look that would end up with them taking a ‘break’ for a few hours.

She was changing his life one piece at a time and now, hell he wasn’t sure he gave a damn.

“Dean?” Her voice was rough with sleep and a little hoarse from the sex they’d had.

“I’m alright babe, go back to sleep.”

She turned to lay on her back and just smiled at him, linking her hand with his. “You think too loud, hun. What’s on your mind?”

He looked at where their hands joined, “You. Us. The boys. Family… all of it.”

Her heart skipped a beat and she kept her face as neutral as possible, “Getting an itch in your feet?”

He shook his head then laid down, pulling her back into his arms. “No, not in the way your thinking.”

She waited, she was still learning about him and a lot of what she did was mostly instinct. Always she was hoping that what she did was good but part of her doubted and fretted just a little. He would tell her when he was ready… she hoped.

“I’m happy and I guess parts of me worry about what might happen to balance out my being so happy. Me and Sam, the hits have just kept on coming all of our lives and I don’t think I’d make it if something happened to you, the boys or the girls.”

She hummed softly and nodded, slipping an arm around his waist so she could nestle her head on his shoulder and listen to his heart beating. “Aren’t you always telling me that things will work out? That we’re all in this together because we’re family?” She kissed the back of his hand. “I know I don’t say it much but I have faith in us. When you tell me that things will work out I always believe you because this… us… this is more then I’d ever hoped for. Even long before I knew you. I love you Dean Winchester and there is nothing out there that we can’t face and beat if we’re together.”

He reeled a little which gave her time to push off the blanket and climb up to straddle his lap. Automatically he reached for her, groaning as she teased him with her hands till he was hard enough for her to sink onto.

She held still for a moment, loving the way he felt inside of her and the power of the moment while her core fluttered. Slowly she began to move, still speaking as she did.

Up till he was just barely inside of her. “Together, you and I can do anything.”

Down she sank again, “You’re the most incredible man I’ve ever known.”

Up then down, rise and sink, “You’re a brilliant father. Syd and Halley adore you.”

She kept the rhythm up for several minutes while he let her lead and she used every movement to pour love into him. At least until Dean couldn’t take the slow tender pace any longer.

With a growl he wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her in place as he lunged up putting her on her back and bringing her legs up high. He’d found the higher he kept her legs the louder she got and he loved the sounds she made.


	18. Out of Luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For all their caution and planning, they find that their luck has finally run out. This will be their end and maybe even their death.

“Beans, rice, any grains that are still good. Peanut butters…. Pectin? What the hell is pectin?” Someone asked as Jennifer handed over a short list to everyone set of pairs.

Jennifer waved a hand, “Don’t worry about it, if you don’t know what it is then move on. Fill the carts with anything that isn’t nasty and still salvageable. Seed packets will be super helpful. If you aren’t sure grab a second cart and keep it separate from everything else and we can double check before we load it all into the truck bed.”

They had combed through four groceries to find enough staples and pick a few supplies that no one had thought of until they had started this whole trip.

Three weeks without a sighting or scent of anyone else around. They weren’t in Alpha territory now and in another day they would be back in the mountains at the refuge and able to relax.

“Hey Jenn, does sugar go bad?”

“Not as long as the bag wasn’t ripped open. OH Someone grab salt! Lots and lots and lots of salt of every kind you can find!” She called over her shoulder.

“Salt?” Dean cocked a brow at her.

She blew him a kiss. “Table salt, canning salt, pickling salt, salt licks… lots of things we can do with salt.”

“Whatever.” He shook his head, pulling from the shelves to check if the dry or canned goods were any good still or if they’d been damaged. They’d long ago dismissed lots of expiration labels for some things because if the seal wasn’t broken then it was still good enough. No premade food obviously and nothing that couldn’t be used in a recipe but still, the cooks at the refuge hadn’t sucked so far.

Thankfully the food and a few more canning and curing supplies were easy to get into the truck and they were back on their way out down the highway that headed over the first pass leaving everything behind except home.

Spirits were up, less then a day and everyone would be home. Jennifer was singing a song loudly, making up words where she didn’t know them and some of the others were joining in with their own ideas of the lyrics when they turned a corner and everyone screeched to a halt.

“What the hell?!”

There, half a mile ahead of them blocking out the entire road were trucks signaling a large pack and on the side of every vehicle was the crossed out circle.

Jennifer spoke up from her seat, trying twice to get the words out from her suddenly dry throat. “Th…that’s… that’s him.” She gave Dean a panicked look, “That’s his Alpha mark.”

“Carlos?” Dean growled deep in his chest, already feeling the rage rise.”

She nodded, shrinking back into herself as if that would make her disappear.

Everyone of the men in the blockade was armed.

Their own caravan was armed but most of it was tucked away.

“So… now what? We can’t shake them, not with a semi.”

“I _know_ that Sam!”

The two-way crackled quietly, “Your call guys, your lead car but we’re pulling up what weapons we got on hand.”

Dean shook his head once and Sam picked up the radio. “Don’t move, we’re not ready for that just yet.” Sam shot Dean an undecipherable look as some sort of megaphone or amplifier was used.

“End of the line _Omega_. I’ve been following your scent, I know you’re almost in heat. Come on out or everyone useless with you dies. There’s nowhere to run this time.”

“Dean, look. They don’t know she’s a claimed Omega. There’s three Alpha’s in our group, it’s enough to show some dominance with just one Omega in the group.”

“He won’t care.” She whispered from where she was partially curled up on the bench seat.

“You’re marked as a _claimed_ Omega.” Sam protested.

She shook her head harder now making her curls shake. “I _ran_ from him. He won’t care if I’m naked and collared with a chain linking me to any of you.”

“So then he has to die.” Dean said flatly, he’d already decided that when she’d told him what had happened to her but now that this other Alpha was around, his blood pumped hot and the need to kill his rival was intensely strong.

He grabbed the radio, “Arm up heavy with everything and step out slowly but don’t leave the trucks. Stay close enough to be back inside if we end up driving right over them.”

He waited till he got the affirmative call back then opened the door and stepped out.

\----------------------------

Dean heard the sound of the other doors open from the truck and knew that Sam would be watching for any ambush and wouldn’t hesitate to take a kill shot if need be. He reached in with one hand without moving his eyes from the threat in front of them.

Jennifer’s hands were ice cold and trembled a little in his as she finally stepped out, standing at his side tucked under his arm.

“Sorry boys! This Omega’s claimed _and_ marked.” He called out loudly.

A large black dodge sat in almost the center, Dean watched as a door opened and a tall dark man stepped out. He had a cigarette lit in his mouth that he only took out a minute later when he reached for the amplifier.

“She _belongs_ to me, hand her over, and after we check over your cargo the rest of you **might** be free to pass. Resist and I’ll take her anyway over your corpses.”

“Sam, if we have to shoot this out, _that_ one goes first then the four around him.” Dean said quietly.

He looked at Jenn and gave her a nudge. “Everything’s going to be alright. We’re going home. All of us.”

He hated the frightened look in her eyes but kept his gaze until she finally smiled a little and nodded.

“Together we can do anything.” She said softly.

“That’s right, you got away before. This’ll be nothing.”

She inhaled a shaky breath then nodded again, this time more resolute with more of her spirit.

Dean looked back over, “Don’t really give a shit _what_ you want, this is our cargo and she belongs to me. Your out of your territory boys, I’d cut your losses and head back before we have to deal with you.”

There was some muttering then he heard, “Just don’t hurt that Omega, she’s mine.”

Dean looked back to be sure the semi was still a good mile or two back and pulled up the radio, “Rain down hell. We’re going _right_ through them, then we’ll use the semi as a barricade to be able to shoot from.”

Jennifer was already back in the truck, pushing down everything that would be in the way of shooting and pulled up a semi-automatic rifle and it’s magazines they’d had the foresight to preload with the .300 BLK rounds they’d found before stripping out everything in the reloading section they’d found. She also kept a tactical 20 gauge shotgun right beside her in case things got too close.

Dean knew the rest would be loaded for bear and ready to go as soon as they started. Sam and Dean both opened fire with their handguns until they were out. Dean got behind the wheel while Sam got in and reloaded. More sounds of gunfire sounded from behind them from the second pick-up before the blockade began to open fire on them. Dean gunned the engine and both trucks made straight for the line.

He’d wanted to aim for the bastard that had hurt his woman but settled for punching through by aiming where two tailgates were lined up. The echo of gunshots were nearly deafening as both Sam and Jennifer kept firing out the windows.

“STOP THEM” was shouted loudly before the roar of a semi now going at near full steam plowed right through the vehicles and followed the two lead trucks till they were a couple miles down the road. Using the pickups they managed to get everyone up and started sending up ammo to the sniper positions and opened fire as soon as the other vehicles appeared.

Jennifer had shut down, all there was right now that mattered in her world was aim and shoot. Aim and shoot. Aim and shoot. Reload, aim and shoot. Aim and shoot. Aim for the head, the neck, the chest, the face, the guts… anything that would slow them down. She barely heard the noises and the scent of blood didn’t register. Just gunpowder and the flash of a shot.

Sam and Dean had both taken up defensive positions with the others while the three high shooters kept up a steady stream.

“DEAN!”

Sam pointed and Dean swore as shots began to come down from the sides of the road. Seemed this Carols wasn’t as stupid as he was cruel.

“If they get too far they’ll flank us!” He shouted to the high shooters. A minute later one of the men on the hillside fell where he stood, then another.

Suddenly it was silent. No one moved, uncertain of the position of strength of the other side.

Jennifer watched through her sight and flattened her body down as much as physically possible. Now that the haze of the first battle was lifting she was aware of more around her, including the cramping and build of sweat over her body.

“You can’t keep this up forever, we’ll get around you at some point or you’ll lead us to where your hiding and I’ll still get her.” Carlos’s voice wasn’t as cocky as it had been before but he still sounded certain.

Jennifer felt her temper spike and she snarled. “SUCK A COCK! I DON’T BELONG TO YOU! I NEVER DID, I **NEVER** WILL!”

Sam, rather then wait for the next assault had motioned a couple of men to follow him around, just out of sight to make their way back to be able to see just around the bend and give them better vantage for shooting with the longer distance rifles they had found.

Dean gave her ankle a pull and once she was in reach he pulled her in for a hard kiss, breathing in her scent. “My fierce Omega, lets kill this bastard and go home.”

“Dean, I- I need…”

“I know baby, I know. Soon. Just _hold_ _on_ for me.”

“LAST CHANGE OMEGA! SURRENDER OR I’ll **MAKE** THEM WATCH WHILE I TAKE YOU AND THEN ONCE YOUR BREEDING FOR ME I’LL KILL EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT IN FRONT OF YOU!” Carlos screamed.

Sam and his group opened fire the same time as the rest that were left by the semi, aiming for kill shots for everyone.

Jennifer pointed to a few that were on the other hill then took off after them. Dean growled but couldn't move yet without taking too many hits. She could handle herself, he just had to have some faith. “Cas I hope you got your ears on, we could use some backup.”

“What an absurd thing to ask Dean, why would I not have my vessel’s ears?”

\---

Jennifer used the Springfield .40 cal she’d grabbed for herself on the two men she’s spotted. It wasn’t until he was dead at her feet she even realized that it was Dave. She snorted, “Guess you should have listened to me, huh asshole?”

She shook her head and looked up at a faint sound she caught a flash of movement and turned… right as Carlos grabbed her by her hair.

Her hands shook as she brought up the gun that had felt so solid in her hands a moment ago but he slapped it out. He was easily as tall as Dean and was heavier built. She vividly remembered from before how most of it was muscle. “He came for me, he claimed me again. I belong to him.”

“Omega.” His hand tightened making her scalp burn. His body was hard and warm behind hers.

Shame burned through her at the needy mewilng sound that slipped out of her mouth. Her mind was screaming that this wasn’t _her_ Alpha. This was wrong but her body was already straining, burning for strong hands dominating her.

“That’s my greedy bitch.” Carlos growled, biting her shoulder hard. “He’ll be dead soon and you’ll be back where you belong. Gagging for my cock and breeding _my _pups.” He leaned in, scenting and mouthing her neck before biting her again, harder this time until she cried out in pain.

Carlos laughed, his teeth tinted with blood. He turned, dragging her by her hair and neck to the edge of the hill, in sight of the trucks. “DROP YOUR GUNS! THIS BITCH IS MINE!” He shouted.

Dean felt sick with rage as he watched the two appear. “Cas!”

The other man disappeared already knowing what was being asked of him but as he appeared behind the pair he heard an odd gurgling sound.

Jennifer pushed through the haze trying to take over her mind, she _had _an Alpha. A good one, one that came back for her. One that fathered her pups. She clenched her jaw finally pulling on her anger. With one swift move she pulled a small thin fillet blade she had strapped to her forearm and buried the blade into his neck, twisting it hard.

Carlos made a gurgling sound then there was a sharp crack before his body was pulled away. Castiel had come around, only a little surprised to see that this sick diseased Alpha was injured. It was nothing now to snap his neck .“Jennifer.” He reached out, touching her arm. “Go to him.”

She looked at him, heat, anger and fear mingled in her eyes before they began to water. She dropped her arm and backed away, already turning to flee. She barely made it ten steps before Dean was there, holding her close and checking her over.

“Damned _crazy_ woman.” He kissed her hard then checked her over again for injuries before giving her a shake. “_Next_ _time_ don’t go charging off by yourself. I lost twenty years off my life woman!” He shouted then pulled her back.

Tears streaked down her face as she let him yell and shout at her, he held her almost too tight but she breathed in his scent and let him ground her again. She hated death and knew that the sound of him choking on blood was going to haunt her for a while.

Everything else faded back while he held onto her, everything but the thick, sweet scent of her heat. “Sammy, we still got that hatchet on hand?”

“Yeah, in the truck under your feet probably.”

Jennifer pulled the handle up once the doors were open and while the others found guns and weapons he dragged her to the trees that still boarded the road. No one said anything as he cut out three long lines slashing downwards at an angle. He did this four more times before nodding and heading back to the truck, still pulling her behind him.

“Dude.”

“This is _our_ territory Sammy, about time we started marking it.”

Sam ended up driving the rest of the way back to the refuge. Dean stayed in the back with Jennifer after the others finished stripping off some parts of the demolished vehicles.

“What do we do with the bodies?”

“Leave ‘em.”

The diesel engine of the semi rumbled to life and followed again after the two lead trucks, back up the long road to the refuge. The trucks pulled past the doors leaving room for the semi to park at the back area. People poured out of the doors, calling out names as loved ones were found.

“Aunt Jenn!”

“Uncle Dean! Uncle Sam!”

Kayla followed at a slower pace, carrying one boy while leading the other. She handed both over without protest, smiling as she did. “Welcome home. Successful trip?”

Dean and Jennifer traded a look but nodded, “Yeah, a very successful trip.”

She smiled as Sam joined her, kissing the top of her head. “Go, we got this.”

Jennifer started to protest but Dean just scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder and heading for their room. “Don’t even start babe, they’ll be there when we come back out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I thought this would be the end but I had just a little more that didn't fit in this chapter. One more chapter.


	19. One clan, one people

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peek into the life they all made for themselves after a few more years.

Fall harvest was always lots of backbreaking work but with all of the food that they brought in no one minded much. Feed for the animals, food for the humans, wood for all the fires they would use. Especially since now no one feared leaving sign that they were there.

The great room had been enlarged several times until there had been enough talk about building proper cabins outside the underground building. It was still used for meals and when newer people found their way to the group but with the weather outside warm still even as the leaves began to fall everyone had taken to gathering up just before sundown to spend together.

“Whose turn is it tonight?” Chris asked as his wife brought their daughter over to curl up together.

Sydney looked up from where she and a few others were working on homework. “Aunt Jenn!”

Jennifer looked up, “What? I just went yesterday… and the day before.” She protested even as she was urged up to the center spot by the glowing fire.

“Tell the story!”

“You tell the story the best Aunt Jenn.”

“Please?”

She laughed and shot a mocking scowl towards where Sam sat with Kayla and their three children. “Alright, alright. But tomorrow it’s someone else’s turn even if I have to go hide.” She laughed. “Many years ago, we were here but there were fewer of us. Everyone that lived here wanted to live in peace away from the rest of the world, to keep ourselves safe… but there were others apart from the mountain clan that didn’t want anyone to have peace. Everyone they found was made captive and would disappear.”

“Except you Mommy!” Paul gave his brother a shove as they both tried to have the best spot by Dad.

She smiled fondly but didn’t pause, “Those of us that could would go out to hunt and gather, looking for food and supplies that would sustain everyone. But one day the angles were watching over one of the mountain clan because at that same time two heroes’ were being sent to aide the clan and their destiny… to join the clan and it’s leadership to carve out a safe home for everyone that wanted peace to live in.”

Her voice carried out to everyone as she continued to spin a story, with the occasional embellishment, of how they had gone from a small group hiding away in the refuge to the large clan that was ever increasing.

“As the smoke began to clear all of the evil Alpha’s monsters lay dead and one of warriors defending the group began to mark the trees.”

“With three stripes like claw marks!” One of the children called out making all of the adults chuckle.

“That’s right, the mark of our clan’s territory. That day it began to grow until everything that you can see from the peak of the mountains on a clear day is all part of our territory. Word spread as the monsters were obliterated and the prisoners rescued… others that wanted a safe place began to come and ask for a place to live. The leaders decided to make the laws that we all continue to live by today. Laws that are fair for all and that keep us not only safe but stronger because we stand together. One clan, one people…”

“Nothing can ever break us if we stand firm together.” The crowd finished with her. It was written in several places, carved at many of the borders and something that everyone was glad to live by.

After that first battle Dean and Sam, with Chris and some of the others, began to branch out, heading off for ‘hunting’ trips but always bringing back others with them when they did. Only now the monsters didn’t require special tools to kill them or put an end to their evil ways.

Word began to spread as others began to notice the new marking that continued to spread, taking over previously known Alpha territories. Occasionally a pack would attempt to surrender but rarely would they be extended any mercy if there was even the smallest trace of the Omega sale or of cruel and inhumane treatment of anyone while in their pack.

Jennifer and Kayla headed up the rehabilitation of those that were brought back but soon there were many to help those that needed it. Men and women. Everyone just wanted to help.

“Can the monsters come back?” Rebecca, one of the newest members asked timidly.

“Never.” Jennifer smiled at the girl as she shook her head, “We are all of us heroes inside ourselves. Some will fight the monsters. Some will help things grow. Others might learn new ways to create beautiful things for us all to enjoy. Every time we make ourselves happy, we take one extra step against all the bad out there, spreading the light just a little further. And others are doing the same, spreading the light and standing strong together.”

Dean shifted where he was sitting as his daughter slept on his shoulder. He rarely accepted credit for anything that was done any longer, now all he wanted in his life was his family. He thought of all those that had been there before. His parents, Ellen, Bobby, Jo, Pamela, Ash, Benny… they never really found out what happened with Heaven and the souls there or if all the souls of those that passed were able to move on anywhere. He hoped so. Castiel still came and went but not as often anymore.

_“You no longer require my help. You and Sam, you found the peace that both of you are worthy of. You two have saved the world enough, now it’s time for you to enjoy what you have. This… this was always how your lives were meant to finish. Surrounded by a family you love.”_

_Dean looked over at where his children played while his pregnant wife watched over them. His chest felt tight but with joy rather then trepidation. “What if something comes and we can’t handle it?” He looked over, barely surprised that Cas had vanished. He started to join his wife when he paused, almost sure he heard someone talking to him. _

_“One clan. One people. Nothing can break if you so long as you stand firm together.”_

_He looked up a at the blue shy and the corner of his mouth kicked up in a half smile, “I won’t forget buddy, thanks.”_

_He ambled over and sat down, laying a hand over her rounding stomach._

_She looked at him and smiled then frowned a little, a line appearing between her eyebrows. “Is everything okay babe?”_

_“Yeah.” He nodded, rubbing her stomach and looking back at the group of children that were playing hard. “Everything’s just how it should be.”_

\--

He watched her now in the firelight and waited for her to sit back down while someone began to read another chapter from whatever book they were on.

She curled up into his side, scooping up the fussing infant. “I feel like a milk cow.” She muttered wryly.

“You shouldn’t, you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Dean rubbed his nose against her hairline above her ear making her chuckle softly.

“You say that every time we have a new baby I nurse.” She protested. “And I am reminding you, this is the last one. No more Mr. Winchester.”

He grinned, kissing her shoulder. “Then you shouldn’t look and taste so good if you want to be done having kids.”

Jennifer huffed a laugh and groan, “I mean it Dean, 5 plus the girls is plenty. We’re repopulating the world just fine without having another dozen.”

He didn’t respond, just smiled. She’d said the same thing once Mary was born, then again after they’d had Elizabeth. Now with Matthew in her arms he listened to her protest. “Nah, not a dozen…”

She looked over at him, fondly exasperated. “I know, I know. ‘We said there was _always_ room for one more.’ You’re incorrigible.”

He kissed her softly, “I love you Jennifer.”

“I love you too Dean. Having _you_ catch me that day was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

Later when everyone was in bed and it was quiet out he held her sleeping form while their youngest son slept in a bassinet next to the bed. The sounds of breathing from the other 6 children and teens were comforting and he marveled at how even after all he’d done, all the blood on his hands, and all the mistakes he’d made that he’d been given such a gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been one hell of a ride, I hope you enjoyed their adventure.


End file.
